


Set For One Fall

by Polkadotdotdot



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo - Freeform, Daddy Kink, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gossip, It's the Pro-Wrestling Reylo AU nobody asked for but you're all getting it anyway, Kylo Ren - Freeform, Kylo likes being called Daddy, Pro-Wrestling, Rey - Freeform, Reylo - Freeform, Reylo angst, Reylo fluff, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Wrestle Daddy, Wrestling, Wrestling smut, alternative universe, dirt sheets, modern reylo, reylo au, reylo smut, wrestlers are basically sluts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-06-27 20:31:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 85,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15692856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polkadotdotdot/pseuds/Polkadotdotdot
Summary: "The following contest is set for one fall. Making her way to the ring, from London, England...Rey J Kenobi!"After years of working her way through the American independent wrestling scene and watching her friends excel in their own careers, Rey Jackson is finally signed to Universal Championship Wrestling. Backstage politics, sexual tension, and dirt sheet gossip are the least of her worries when she meets the UCW Heavyweight Champion, Kylo Ren. As handsome as he is arrogant, she's determined to do her job and not let him get under her skin.Certainly not in her bed.





	1. Stupid, Arrogant, Son-of-a...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlbaStarGazer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbaStarGazer/gifts).



> Hello and welcome to another PD3 story! So, here's some backstory to this:
> 
> I've been a professional wrestler for almost 9 years (No, really...I have plenty of proof of this) and I've been lucky enough to travel around the Europe, tour Japan and the US. I wanted to write about something I know inside and out and that is the pro-wrestling business. 
> 
> The practices backstage, how the shows are planned, how wrestlers speak etc all come from first-hand experience. In this case, fact checkers, need not comment ;) I don't want to get myself blacklisted but in this modern age, people are going behind the curtain more and more (Metaphorically speaking).
> 
> At the end of every chapter, if there's wrestling terms or words you're unsure of, I'll leave a glossary! 
> 
> Enjoy, comment and let me know what you think. Of course, it's going to be smutty eventually. Since University is starting back, I sadly won't be able to update daily the way I have been, but I'm aiming for twice a week - Sunday and Friday.

Rey gripped the strap of her bag tightly as she gazed up at the imposing building with wide, anxious eyes.

_Universal Championship Wrestling – Performance Centre_

After years of working her way through the independent wrestling circuit, watching her friends move on without her to bigger and better things, Rey Jackson had finally been offered a try out with the biggest wrestling company in the world. Two callbacks and it was finally her turn.

For some people, professional wrestling was just something fun. It was all sparkles and spandex, ‘fake’ fighting and over the top storylines, but for Rey, it had become so much more. Watching those characters on TV had become her escape as a child, a way to believe that something better was possible. The older she became, the more the idea stuck.

She didn’t learn the ‘right’ way, as many others had. The cost of wrestling schools around the country was simply too high. Instead, Rey turned up to shows, badgering the wrestlers there to teach her. In return for helping load the ring in and out of the venue, putting out seats, handing out flyers, some of the guys let her work out with them and it wasn’t long before they had her working the shows. She paid her dues and finally having a chance to perform in front of a paying crowd was her reward.

It’s how she met most of her closest friends and it was a bittersweet feeling watching them go off and get sighed while she still slogged it out as a weekend warrior. She’d work minimum wage jobs behind bars or in coffee shops during the week to pay her rent while donning her lycra spandex outfits at the weekend.

She smiled to herself, remembering that giddy feeling when the fed-ex guy delivered her contract and she sighed her name on the dotted line, agreeing to the 3-year development deal with the company. From this day, UCW would mold her character, give her real, proper training. If she played her cards right and did as they asked, they could make her into a star.

Sucking in a sharp breath to steady her nerves, she pushed her way into the building. It looked like a huge warehouse near Hell’s Kitchen, New York, but it was immaculate and bright. Six full-size wrestling rings were set up, each with people working in them. Some were running drills, others were working on grappling and some were learning new moves and testing them for safety.

She was approached by a huge man, his white vest doing nothing to hide how hairy he was. He wore a surly expression except for the sideways smile on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking her up and down.

“Rey Jackson?” he barked. She nodded.

“I’m Charles Baker but everyone calls me coach Chewie,” he said, extending his hand to her. Rey reached out to shake it, marveling at how much larger he was than her, “I’m going to be your head coach here at the performance center. Let me show you around and we’ll get you settled with a locker,”

“Thanks,” Rey said uncertainly, gripping the strap of her backpack tighter and following the large man through the building.

“Obviously in here is our main training area,” he said, indicating the rings, “Each ring is 20-foot square. The same size you’ll be working on the shows. Everyone’s training timetable is different, if you’re on tour, you’re not required to train although you are, of course, more than welcome,”

He moved on and Rey followed behind him loyally, taking in the sights as they walked.

“In here we have our state-of-the-art gym and weights facility,” he said, stopping in the doorway of the huge gym.

Rey grinned. There was every kind of machine she could imagine, as well as rows of free weights, kettlebells, battle ropes and medicine balls.

“You’re finally here!”

A familiar voice called across the room, dropping his weights and skipping over to her. Rey smiled so wide her cheeks burned, throwing her arms around her friends’ neck, not caring how sweaty he was.

“Finn, it’s so good to see you!” she cried. He beamed down at her proudly.

“I knew you’d make it here eventually!” he said, “You’re too good not to have on this roster. Poe, Rose and Paige are around here somewhere too!”

Rey felt giddy, thrilled knowing she would finally be working along with her friends once more. It wasn’t that she didn’t see them, or that they didn’t keep in touch, but when your closest friends were quickly becoming international wrestling superstars and touring the world, it made getting together difficult.

But that didn’t matter anymore, because now, Rey was going to be one of them.

“Old friends huh?” Chewie commented, “That’s good. It’ll help the settling in process, they can keep you right,”

She waved to Finn, telling him she would see him later as Chewie continued his tour.

“Down that hall there are our sports therapy and trainers’ rooms. You got an injury or an issue, you can head in there and they’ll see you right,” he said, “And these rooms here are the offices of our general managers…”

“Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa!” Rey interrupted with excitement. She was yet to meet either of them since neither were there for her try out, but they were both legendary names in the wrestling business.

In his day, Luke Skywalker had been one of the greatest Intercontinental champions of all time while Leia Organa was the first ever woman to compete in an intergender match against a man. There wasn’t a wrestling trainee alive who didn’t know their names. Chewie smirked.

“That’s right. Big fan?” Rey blushed sheepishly.

“I…well, I mean…”

“Don’t worry about it kid!” Chewie laughed, “Everyone is the same when they first come here!”

They walked to another set of rooms, Chewie pointing to the door on the left.

“This is the women’s locker room,” he said, “You’ve been allocated locker and cubby number 21. Keep your training things in there. We won’t have you doing too much today, get yourself acquainted and come to me when you’re ready,”

Rey nodded in thanks, pushing her way into the room. The excited smile had yet to leave her face as she looked around. Every numbered section was decorated and personalised by whoever it belonged to and she realized with glee that her section was directly between Paige and Rose.

Unzipping her bag, Rey began to hang up her things. Her boots, her knee pads, her wrist tape. Inspecting each item, she wrinkled her nose. Everything was in working order, but it was all so old and worn. Wrestling gear was expensive and if it was the choice between new boots and a hot meal, the meal had to come first.  She was in the process of unpacking some spare training clothes when she was caught off guard.

“Well, look what we have here,”

Rey jumped, turning to look at the person standing leaning against one of the lockers. The woman was far taller than Rey was with short blonde hair and a quizzically amused expression in her blue eyes. Her arms were crossed in front of her nonchalantly, looking Rey up and down.

“Hello…” Rey greeted carefully, “I’m…”

“I know exactly who you are,” the woman said, pushing herself to a stand and wandering closer to her, “You’re that new signee everyone has been talking about. I’ve heard you’re very popular on the indies, Rey J Kenobi,”

“That’s just my performance name…well, my actual name _is_ Rey but…” the woman rolled her eyes, waving her hand to cut Rey off.

“I literally couldn’t care less what your name is, performance or otherwise,” she snapped, “If you’re going to survive in this locker room, you just need to know one thing…I’m not just women’s champion because it’s in the script. I’m the best in this company and I didn’t work my arse off only to have that taken away by some little…”

“Back off Gwen!” Another voice snapped from the locker room doorway, “She’s just in through the door, maybe save being a bitch for the cameras?”

Gwen smirked, looking Rey over one last time.

“Oh, don’t you worry little Rosebud. I was just ribbing our new recruit. Welcome to the team, love,” she said, turning around and walking from the room.

“Who the fuck was that?” The smaller girl walked into the room, her face softening from its scowl.

“You’ve not been watching, recently have you? That’s Gwen Phasma. Ever since the writers decided to put the belt on her and make her women’s champion, she’s been a nightmare. Her and her little gang that she runs around with,” Rose sighed, “Anyway, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re here!” She squealed, hugging her friend tightly.

“Have you met everyone yet? Has coach Chewie shown you the place?” Rose asked. Rey nodded.

“He’s given me the tour and I saw Finn in the weights room, but I haven’t seen Poe or Paige yet,” she said, “and I haven’t met anyone else,”

“Well I’m so happy you’re finally with us. Holy shit, this is going to make tours so much more fun now I won’t feel guilty for leaving you alone!”

As much as Rey tried not to let it bother her, there had always been a residual feeling of resentment towards her friends. She loved them and wanted the best for them, she wished them all the success in the world but it was hard not to feel a little hard done by when they were performing in front of sold-out arenas around the country for a good wage while Rey was stuck once again in a high school gym in some backwater town and would be lucky to make gas money from the promoter.

Rey finished putting away her things and followed Rose out, listening to the girl as she pointed out people working in the rings.

“So obviously you know my sister, Paige. The girl she’s in with is Jessika, she hasn’t been training as long as us so she’s super green but she’s really nice,” she turned to another ring, “The guy with the red hair? That’s Hux, he’s part of a tag team with the other guy with dark hair, Mitaka. I don’t know how much you’ve been keeping track of the storylines but they’re in a faction with Phasma called ‘The First Order’,”

“Hmm. Heel faction I take it?”

“Total heels. They get booed out of every arena we go to,” Rose agreed, “and they hold all the championships between them. It’s a good thing though, you know the faces should always be chasing for the titles. Means when it’s time to finally have them drop, the crowd will go nuts for it!”

Rey nodded. It was a sound wrestling storyline, tried and tested. The bad guys would hold all the power, cheating to win and getting away with it time and time again. It drove the audience mad, the boos each night getting louder with anticipation that eventually the plucky, underdog heroes would beat the odds and dethrone the villains.

Of course, it was all just storylines.

The door to the facility opened, Rey and Rose, turning to the sound out of interest. Rey’s eyes widened taking in the figure who walked in. He was huge, even by wrestlers’ standards, standing well over six foot with a broad chest and shoulders. His dark hair hung messily around his angular face, his full lips turned in a scowl.

“Oh my God…Rose, who is that?”

“That’s Kylo Ren…he got signed a few months ago after doing all those tours out in Japan,” She said, “He get’s here and within a few weeks, they’ve already got him carrying the heavyweight championship! I’d like to say it’s just cause of his family but…he’s actually really talented,”

“He is…so handsome,” Rey said, mainly to herself but Rose heard her and rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I especially love his smile,” she quipped, “Seriously, he’s a total asshole. You know how with some heels it’s all for storylines and they’re actually really nice? Yeah, not in this case…actually, that goes for everyone in the First Order. Just stay away from them, they’re not worth your time,”

Rey’s eyes continued to follow him. He purposely ignored most of the other wrestler who was working, only acknowledging his First Order teammates with the briefest of nods. Not once did he smile.

“You said he has family here…who is that?” Rose smirked.

“He’s Leia Organa’s son!” she replied in a hushed whisper. Rey’s mouth fell open.

“Holy shit, she has a son?! I didn’t know that!”

“Nobody did, it was all quite the scandal back in the day,” Rose said, “But that’s all I know! Anyway, come on, let’s get in the ring and get you moving again!”

Choosing an empty ring, Rey climbed onto the apron, wiping her feet and stepping between the ropes. She bounced slightly, feeling the familiar ground under her feet and the way the padded wood moved above the metal bars.

Testing the give of the ring, she slowly began to run, counting her steps between the ropes and turning to receive the bounce that would propel her in the other direction. The size of the ring was larger than most on the indies and it would take some getting used to, but it was the most professional set up she’d ever experienced, and her body was thriving.

Under Chewie’s instruction, Rey ran through her drills. She practiced her bumps, landing on her back safely, her front, her sides and flipping in a somersault over to land on her back without her head touching the mat.

“Remember guys, if you can’t protect yourself, how are you going to protect your opponent?” Chewie reminded, “Good work ladies, those bumps are looking tight. Move onto your rolls please,”

Listening to her coach, Rey began with basic forward rolls, then backward rolls and onto the left and right arm shoulder rolls, gracefully coming to her feet each time. It was the second most important thing she had ever learned as a wrestler when it came to protecting herself from shoddy moves.

If in doubt, roll it out.

“Alright, that’s good. That’s enough for today,” Chewie said, “Luke should have your travel itinerary ready by tomorrow in time for these new stories starting. The rest of the afternoon is yours,”

“Umm coach?” Rey called, “It’s been a while since I’ve had a ring like this to myself. Can I stay behind a little to practice some things?” Chewie shrugged.

“Sure, that’s what this place is for. Just be careful,” he warned. Rey nodded, giving him the thumbs up.

“Rey, we’re going to go wash up then how about we go somewhere and get dinner?” Rose called, pointing to the back, “We can catch up!” Rey nodded in agreement with a smile.

Hopping down from the ring, she grabbed one of the large, foam crashmats, pushing it inside and placing it in the center of the ring.

Of all the things Rey had learned, flying was the thing she loved most. She had been obsessed with the Mexican luchadores as a child. The rush of adrenaline that spiked through her blood as she would leap from the corner turnbuckle to flip through the air at her opponent. If they were larger, and they could hold her weight and act as her base, then it was even better.

Since Rose and Paige had opted to hit the showers and Finn and Poe were nowhere to be seen, Rey decided that some solo practice was best while she waited for her friends. The split legged moonsault was a move she had been practicing for years but could never quite master. She would stand on top of the turnbuckle, her back to the ring and drop into the splits, the back of her thighs hitting the top rope to flip her body over to land on her stomach on the mat.

Sometimes she would land it. Other times she would land on her head.

She climbed, holding her breath to steady herself before dropping, the back of her legs glancing from the ropes and she fell, landing in an unceremonious heap on the crash mat. She growled in annoyance, righting herself to a sit and rubbing the back of her head.

In determination, she stood again, grabbing the ropes and climbing herself to the top. This time, without giving herself the hesitation, she dropped, only to find herself in the same landing position.

“You’re doing that wrong,”

Rey looked up with a scowl, moving her hair from her face. Kylo Ren was standing at ringside, his arms crossed over his large, vest-clad chest. She had thought him handsome from a distance but up close, she could now see the finer details in his looks. How his skin was speckled with beauty marks, the angular shape of his strong, stubble-covered jaw and, finally, she could see just how dark his eyes really were. Something was bothering her though; his expression was one of boredom, indifference, and it immediately made Rey bristle.

“Yes, I’m quite aware,” she snapped, “Otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting like this would I?”

Kylo raised an eyebrow, taken aback by her sharp tone and Rey wondered if anyone had ever spoken back to him.

“When your legs hit the ropes, you keep leaving your hands by your sides and looking down. Your body will never turn that way. When you drop, tilt your head and throw your arms up so the momentum takes you over,” he explained, his voice just as bored and uninterested as his face suggested.

“And what would a six foot whatever the hell you are heavyweight know about lucha libre wrestling anyway?” She said, looking him up and down disdainfully, “You’ve hardly got the build for it,”

Kylo scowled.

“Don’t you know who I am?” Rey snorted, picking herself up and rolling out of the ring to face him, marching up to his chest in irritation. The height difference was laughable, but his manner was pushing her buttons. How rude was this guy? Hadn’t he ever heard of humility?

“I do actually but right now you’re coming across as one of those arrogant arseholes who think that just because they’ve got a belt, they’re actually important!” she said, “Wrestling isn’t fake, but it is _fixed_ or have you forgotten that?”

Kylo regarded her carefully, his brows knitted together over his dark eyes until suddenly he smirked, the corner of his mouth lifting in what might have passed for amusement. Rey felt rooted to the spot under the scrutiny of his stare, but she dared not move. Her pride wouldn’t let her give in to such a conceited man, even if having him so close was making her light headed.

She hoped it was just her previous landing.

“Just do as I say,” he said darkly, “You might just learn something,”

Rey watched, speechless, as he turned and walked away from her, her eyes fixed to the muscles in his back as he moved, and she screwed them shut, sucking in a breath. He was attractive, too damn attractive, but he was still an arrogant piece of work and she repeated that fact over and over in her head like a mantra.

Grumbling under her breath, she climbed back into the ring, sorting the position of the mat and climbing the turnbuckle again. Fine, she thought, she would _try_ his suggestion and that would prove that the egotistical, beautiful bastard had no idea what he was talking about.

She dropped, keeping her head tilted back and throwing her arms upwards. In a perfect rotation, her back arched and she landed square in the middle of the crash mat.

From her perfect landing position, Rey groaned, flopping forward and burying her face in the foam.

_Stupid arrogant son-of-a…_


	2. Gym Etiquette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who have read so far! 
> 
> You absolutely do not need to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this story. The wrestling part is a backdrop for all these characters and their lives :)

[](https://imgur.com/GLN3zzE)

“I told you he was an asshole,”

Rose flopped down on the bed of Rey’s Brooklyn studio apartment, opening the bottle of water she had grabbed from the fridge while Rey stood in front of her wardrobe grabbing clothes and throwing them towards her suitcase.

“I mean, the nerve of it! He didn’t even introduce himself, he just swanned up with this _look_ on his face like I was barely worth his time and then he starts telling me that I’m doing it wrong…he didn’t even ask me if I wanted advice!” Rose smirked, taking a sip of her water.

“Again…I told you. It’s a shame all that douchebaggery comes in such a gorgeous package,” she said, “But look, don’t let him get to you. On the road, he tends to keep to himself anyway. You’ll hang with us and it’ll be just like old times…except with better hotels!”

Rey smiled widely at the thought. Her first official show with the company was in a few days’ time and she was anxious to make a good impression. It was one thing performing well in a training ring, but it was another thing to be put in front of a fickle crowd. If they didn’t like what you were doing, it didn’t matter if you were a good guy or a bad guy, they would soon let you know.

“Do you think I’ve packed enough?” Rey asked, gazing down at her case. Rose nodded.

“Remember what it’s like? You have all these ideas about wearing a new cute outfit each day and travelling you live in the same jeans and tees. You could probably take at least half of that out…”

“I know…I’m just nervous,” Rey sighed, “I want to start off on the right foot. Make a good impression on the bosses,”

“The only bosses you need to impress are Luke and Leia,” Rose said, “Nobody ever sees Snoke,” Rey frowned.

“Really? I thought that was a myth,”

“Yeah, he tends to hide away at his base of operations in Connecticut. If he ever travels to a show or the performance center…then you know something _big_ is going down…and it’s usually never good!”

It was true. Rey had heard the rumors before she had even signed. Harold Snoke had taken over Universal Championship Wrestling from his father and had turned it into the billion-dollar company it was today. Ruthless in his business manner, he had all but managed to bury and buy out his competition, making it harder for independent wrestlers to make a living any other way. You either worked for UCW or you made a pittance on the indies between part-time jobs.

“Do you know what you’re doing yet? Have they told you?” Rose asked. Rey gave up on her packing, throwing herself backward onto her bed to stare at the ceiling.

“Not yet. I have my meeting with Luke and Leia tomorrow afternoon when I pick up my travel details,” Rey said, “I’m pretty nervous. They’re both such legends,” Rose smiled at her friend.

“They are but you don’t have a reason to be nervous. They’re both wrestlers and they’ve been where we are. A wealth of knowledge there to pick at if you get them in the right mood. You’ll be totally fine,”

“I suppose so,” Rey said, rolling over onto her stomach to face her friend, “Hey, you never did tell me…what’s happening with you and Finn? Is he still totally oblivious?” Rose groaned, putting down her bottle to smash her face into the pillow.

“Yes!” She cried, her voice muffled by the fabric, “Completely! I keep dropping all these hints and he just won’t take them!” Rey smirked.

“Have you tried just…telling him?” Rose sat up, smoothing her hair.

“He’s so focused on ‘being professional’! Every hint I make he’s all ‘Oh, I don’t think workplace relationships are healthy…they cause problems!’” she moaned, “As if it’s the same as being on the circuit!”

The smirk remained on Rey’s face. She knew exactly what Finn was talking about. Even in the few years, she had spent working around the country it had quickly become evident to Rey that, in professional wrestling, everyone knew everyone. It was impossible for men and women, pumped full of adrenaline, to deny the attraction. Throw in the constant use of recreational drugs and alcohol into the mix and it made for messy dynamics. Rumors would fly thick and fast. People knew your business before _you_ did.

It reminded Rey of a box of sexually charged rats, all climbing over one another.

“I mean, I get it…but you two aren’t exactly the casual type! Surely, he can see that? I mean what about Jessika and Poe? Haven’t they been dating?” Rose nodded.

“Apparently they are the exception,” she huffed, “Maybe I should just give up…move on…Mitaka is kind cute…if I squint,”

The girls dissolved into laughter, falling on the bed until there were tears in their eyes. Rose wiped her face, her stomach aching.

“Ha! I needed that…” she said breathlessly, “I guess I’ll just need to go with the flow…but right now, there’s more chance of you and Kylo forming a beautiful friendship,” she teased.

Rey rolled her eyes. Rose’s earlier words about the odious man still echoed in her mind and she decided not to mention that she had spent most of the previous evening looking up pictures of him in his ring gear on her laptop.

Really, there had to be some kind of law against a man that looked that way walking around in black, high shine wrestling trunks. She hadn’t even seen the sight in person yet and it had made her sweat.

It was a shame he was such an asshole.

00000

Rey stood at the door of the office, her hand in a fist hovering in front of the wood. Before she could even knock, she heard a voice call for her to enter. Carefully, she opened the door.

Leia Organa was sitting behind her desk, her business suit immaculate and her hair pulled into an elaborate, beautiful braid on top of her head. She was older than the videos and clips Rey had spent hours watching as a young girl, but her eyes still shone with the same steely determination and wit.

“Rey, please have a seat,” she said pleasantly, “It’s nice to finally meet you properly. I’m sorry that Luke won’t be able to join us, he’s been delayed on a conference call. Coach Chewie has been telling me good things about you,”

“Thank you,” Rey replied nervously, holding her hands tightly to stop them from shaking, “It’s…an honor to finally meet you, Ms Organa,” Leia smiled wryly at her.

“That’s what I’m told. Please, honey, call me Leia,” she said, “I’ve never been good with all the official business bullshit,”

Rey blinked at the woman, trying to school her eyes to stay as they were and not widen in shock. Leia only laughed.

“I’m still a wrestler at heart,” she said, “It’s just a shame this old hip of mine doesn’t want to agree. Anyway, I have your travel details here and the writing team at head office have got back to me about their plans for you,”

She handed a few sheets of paper to Rey who began to glance over them. Flight details, car rental, hotels. Everything was there.

“Obviously you still have to have your first match but the overall plan, things going well, is to put you with the Resistance,”

“With Finn and Poe?” Leia nodded.

“That’s right. As you know, the First Order is the biggest heel faction we have, and they’ve been getting fantastic reactions. We have the audience where we want them. Now it’s time to start building a face faction that can oppose them. Obviously, Finn and Poe will be chasing for the tag team championships and if we build you enough then we could have you chasing for the women’s championship,”

This time, no amount of restraint could hide the shock on Rey’s face.

“But…but I only just got here…and Phasma…”

“Is a wrestler who is under contract and will do her job,” Leia said firmly, “This isn’t going to be a quick event, ‘Starkiller’ is well over 6 months away. That’s plenty of time to build anticipation and show you as a credible underdog for the title,”

“and what about Kylo?” Rey asked. Leia quirked an eyebrow curiously.

“What about him?”

“Well…he’s the leader of that faction, right? Who is going to be chasing for his title?” Leia waved her hand dismissively.

“That isn’t important to the story right now. The idea is that by the time Starkiller rolls around, it’ll be the First Order facing the Resistance in an illumination tag team match. We’re thinking 4 on 4. After that, we can start stripping belts and, from a storyline perspective, that will leave Kylo Ren on his own without his group,”

Rey nodded along listening to the older woman. The whole thing made so much sense to her. It was classic wrestling storytelling, repeated time and time again but when done well, an audience ate it up and asked for more.

“Alright, so…what do you want to see from me?” Rey asked.

“What do you mean?”

“To make it happen…what do you want me to do?” Leia smiled warmly. Rey reminded her of herself at that age, young and eager to please.

“All I need from you, Rey, is to keep training, do your job and don’t miss any of your damn flights like some other people we know!” She said, “It’ll make my job a hell of a lot easier! Now, unless there’s anything else…I believe coach Chewie has you scheduled for gym work,”

Rey smiled brightly, clutching the papers to her chest. Having her tour itinerary printed and tangible made everything seem that much more real, her heart fluttering as she thought about the first moment when she would stand by the curtain, suited and booted, waiting for her music to hit.

But before she could make it to that moment, she had some training to do first. As quickly as she could, she put the papers in her locker, changing into her gym shorts, a tank and her wrestling boots. Grabbing her towel and old, well used, water bottle, she made her way to the performance center’s beautiful gym.

Blissfully empty.

Rey had always been slender. A lot of girls on the circuit had told her in the past she was lucky, that she could eat whatever she wanted and still could pull off those tight, lycra outfits. She would always roll her eyes and scoff. Wrestling was so much more than just being skinny and pretty in spandex. It took strength and conditioning to put your body through so much punishment and to protect the person you were working with.

Wrestling rings had a little give, and she was trained to land safely as she could, but the bottom line was it was still a wooden surface and years of landings took its toll. Wrestling was fixed. It wasn’t fake.

Moving to one of the racks, she grabbed a bar, setting it up with her starting weight and pushing herself under to begin her first set. The music in her earbuds drove her, her mind turning tranquil as she focused on her breathing, dropping into the squat and pushing back up.

_Knees out. Back straight._

Wrestling had been her escape. Gym was her therapy. The more she had learned about weightlifting, she had stumbled upon a quote from Henry Rollins that stuck with her.

_The iron never lies to you. Friends may come and go but 200 pounds is always 200 pounds._

It had become her mantra, something she reminded herself of whenever she felt left down or alone and once she had learned what it felt like to be strong, Rey had promised herself she would never feel weak again.

Racking the bar, she grabbed her bottle and frowned. Empty. Throwing her towel to hang on the bar, she walked away to the fountain around the corner, filling the bottle and taking a long, deep, drink. The endorphins beginning to flow, she smiled as she headed back to her place only to stop dead in her tracks.

Her towel was on the floor.

Her weights had been changed.

There was a bench pushed into the middle of the rack and Kylo Ren was sitting there on his phone.

Gritting her teeth, a deep scowl set on her face, Rey marched over to stand in front of him, swiping her discarded towel from the floor.

“Excuse me but I was using that!” she snapped.

Slowly, he pulled a headphone bud from his ear, looking up at her with a blank expression, his elbows still leaning on his knees.

“And then you weren’t?” he said casually.

“No! I left my towel on the bar which _you_ rudely just threw away,” She growled, “Haven’t you ever heard of gym etiquette?!”

Kylo shrugged, his face completely passive which only fuelled Rey’s anger further, a flush rising on her neck as she clenched her fists. The plastic of her bottle crumpled under the pressure.

“You should probably get a more permanent water bottle…that one is looking at bit done…”

“My _water bottle_ is not the issue right now!” she hissed, leveling a finger at him, “I wasn’t done. You stole my bar!”

“There was no-one here. I just assumed whoever had been using it hadn’t re-racked the thing,” he said, glancing at the weight plates hanging on the side, “Is that really all you were squatting…”

“No because I _wasn’t done_!” she snarled in exasperation. All the while, Kylo continued to stare at her like _she_ was the crazy one. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to grab his stupid, pretty hair and physically throw him off the bench.

Not that she could. Rey was strong but Kylo was built like a redwood.

“Well…I’m here and set up now so…”

“Really?! That’s really all you have to say? You swan in here, throw my towel away, steal my bar and you’re not even going to say sorry?!”

Kylo’s lips twisted into an amused smile. The fact he was showing any kind of emotion other than indifference should have been a pleasant surprise but since it wasn’t the reaction Rey was looking for from him, it only stoked her incandescent rage.

“You’re kinda cute when you’re angry…must be the accent,” he quipped, his dark eyes sparkling with mirth and Rey gasped incredulously.

“Did you…are you fucking kidding me right now?!” she shouted, “I don’t give a damn who you are, I am a professional wrestler just like you and you’re just…just…rude!”

“You’re welcome to wait until I’ve finished my sets,” he said plainly, “There’s plenty of other things to do in this gym…”

It was clearly a battle she wasn’t about to win. He was sitting firmly, staring at her expectantly and showed no sign of moving or remorse. Rey snarled, baring her teeth.

“You know what? I’ve decided I’d rather go for a run…” she grumbled, turning to storm from the room. Stopping just before she reached the door, she turned back to him, “I bet you’re the type of arsehole who drops weights as well!”

The gym door behind her slammed shut and she buried her face in her hands with a frustrated groan.

_‘I bet you’re the type of arsehole who drops weights’ Great last word, Jackson. Inspired…_

00000

Her run hadn’t done anything to improve her mood.

The muscles in her legs burned with the effort as her feet hit the hard ground below but still, all she could think of was the infuriating interaction she had with Kylo.

_Rude. Conceited. Fucking gorgeous…_

There was nothing worse than a good-looking wrestler who knew he was good looking and Rey had concluded that it was obviously what Kylo’s problem was. She had met so many of them before, guys who thought they were God’s gift because a few hundred people cheered for them. They’d drink in the attention, eventually selecting a ‘ring rat’ to take back to their hotel before they moved onto their next booking. Kylo clearly had the same attitude only, much to Rey’s chagrin, he could back it up.

 He was talented, obviously so since they had put the title on him and made him the face of the company. He had the resume to back up his claims and he looked after his physique. He was so infuriating in his nonchalant manner that Rey wanted to rip his throat out.

She definitely didn’t want to do anything else with him and she pushed away the strange fluttering in her gut wondering if those large hands of his were good for more than just grappling.

Covered in a sheen of sweat, she rolled from the ring, her practice done for the day. As the rest of her co-workers began to make their way to the showers, a figure pushed past them all to approach her.

“Rey, isn’t it?”

Much like his sister, Luke Skywalker was older now than the footage she had seen of him but unlike Leia, he looked…tired almost. Worn down from years in the business. He walked with a slight limp and Rey remembered reading that he had gone for knee surgery almost a year ago.

“Umm…yes,” she said shakily, “Hello, it’s so good to finally meet you Mr. Skywalker…I’m a huge fan of your work, you’re a legend,” He smiled amusingly, an expression that Rey had seen mirrored in Leia.

“So, I’m told,” he replied sardonically, “I’ve been watching your work. You’re good for where you’ve come from, but your footwork is sloppy…you’ve never been trained at an actual school have you?”

Rey blushed sheepishly. She wasn’t ashamed of how she had come through the circuit, but she had hoped that her lack of basics wouldn’t have been quite so highlighted.

“I thought as much,” Luke said before she could answer, “There’s more to professional wrestling than just throwing yourself from the top rope and piledrivers. You need a teacher,”

“Well, coach Chewie…”

“Chewie is great, he’s one of the best. His tag team, ‘The Millenium Falcons’ were two of the best guys I’ve ever worked with,” Luke said, “But if you want to be the best…you need to start working on your basics,”

“Will you teach me?” Rey asked impulsively.

From the look on Luke’s face, she almost immediately regretted the question. He was silent, gazing at her with narrowed blue eyes.

“I always said I’d never train another pro-wrestler…that’s not my job anymore…”

“Please,” she implored, “I want to improve…I want to be the best and I don’t want to let anyone down!”

Luke sighed, running his hand through his greying, shaggy hair.

“I’ll tell you what kid,” he said, “I’ll give you a shot…but you still need to stick to your training with Chewie when you’re scheduled! It won’t be easy. I won’t accept anything less than you’re A-game…but once a week, when you’re not touring, come down here and I’ll see what we can do,”

Rey smiled widely, her eyes lighting up and her stomach clenching with excitement.

“Thank you so much!” she gushed, “I won’t let you down!”

Agreeing on a date for their first lesson, Rey skipped to the women’s locker room to shower.

_Luke Skywalker is my trainer_


	3. You Can Start With 'Sorry'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so in terms of updating, I'm going to TRY and stick to a Sunday and a Friday. However, I know me, and when I get excited I get impatient so occasionally there may be extra updates thrown in for good measure!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read, commented and shared so far! I'm really excited to write about what I know and I've got so many ideas, please continue and as always, if there's a term I haven't made clear, please let me know and I'll add it to the wrestling glossary at the bottom!
> 
> PD3 xx

[](https://imgur.com/z21oNzO)

Kylo heaved a sigh, pulling his training bag up onto his shoulder as he walked through the center. It had been a long day of listening to the head office run him through storylines, merchandise plans, and travel details. On top of that, he’d had to listen to Hux drone on about his involvement in the upcoming shows, his place, his look and how he could get himself over with the crowd.

Clearly, the guy had no clue about being in an actual team. Not that Kylo was particularly well suited to the task, but he did understand wrestling and its psychology.

He almost made it to the door uninterrupted when he walked headfirst into Leia.

“Hello Ben,” she smiled happily, “I see you’re done for the day,”

“Hello Leia,” she fixed him with a stern, disappointed look.

“I’ve asked you repeatedly to call me ‘Mom’,” she stated. Kylo huffed a sigh.

“And I’ve told you repeatedly that I go by ‘Kylo’ now,”

“That’s your ring name, not the name I gave you,” she said plainly, “Your father was talking about coming to one of the shows on tour this week…”

“No,”

“Ben…”

“No!” He snapped, “He doesn’t get to come to an arena and walk around like a proud Dad when he barely knows me anymore. It’s not happening!” Leia sighed.

“Ben, you know what it’s like being a full-time worker on the road. Your father did his best…” she began but he cut her off with a dismissive wave.

“Yeah he did his best by leaving you, leaving me and fucking off to try and grab whatever semblance of a career he had left,” Kylo scoffed, “I’m not interested in seeing him. He wants to come to a show, he can buy a ticket like everyone else,”

“Alright son, alright,” Leia relented, seeing that there was no convincing the man in front of her to change his mind. They had been having the same conversation for so long, she knew how it played out, “Have you got all your travel information?” He nodded.

“Yeah, I’m all set,” he said, his tone far more cordial, “I guess I’ll see you on the road,”

“I guess you will. Get a good rest, I don’t want you missing another flight!”

00000

By the time he made it back to his large apartment in the upper east side of Manhattan, Kylo was ready to crash. His whole body hurt from his relentless training, the sports massages and his head felt like it was going to burst from all the little details he’d been hit with all day.

Carelessly, he threw his bag down at the front door, kicking his sneakers off and padding to the spacious kitchen. He grabbed a drink from the fridge, leaning on the shiny, granite worktop of the breakfast bar, his eyes staring out into his living space.

It turned out, if you were good enough at what you did, wrestling could afford you a nice living. His apartment was in one of the most sought-after buildings in the borough. A large open plan kitchen bleeding into a huge living space. Stairs that lead to an upper level with the master bedroom and bath, with more bedrooms just down the hall from the living room. From his sofa, he could see the twinkling lights of New York City for miles through floor to ceiling windows. Sometimes he’d wander out to his balcony just to think, to get some peace for himself.

He was so high up there nothing could touch him.

Sometimes was bothering him. In his time, even before signing with UCW, Kylo had managed to gain a certain reputation. The term ‘doesn’t play well with others’ was banded around a lot between promotions and it was only his talent for the job that continually got him work. Promoters would put up with a lot of shit if they knew he would bring in the ticket sales.

And he did.

Backstage and in locker rooms around the world, people grew cautious of him. They’d heard of his temper and as a result, very few people spoke back to him or denied him what he wanted.

Until Rey Jackson.

He didn’t know who she was. Not that he had anything against women’s wrestling, far from it, but he hadn’t kept up with any news of the indies, let alone the women’s indies. So, when he saw this slip of a brunette girl, throwing herself backward from the top rope in a way that he was certain would result in a broken neck, he hadn’t expected the response she had given.

He took a large gulp of his juice, his mind mulling over the interaction. She had glared at him with such sharp eyes, indignant in her response. He winced. Perhaps he had been a little blunt in his instruction but that’s how he was trained.

Wrestling was evolving, there was no doubt about it, but it wasn’t a game. Trainers didn’t treat you with kid gloves. There was no ‘Oh, that wasn’t quite right, try again’ with a pat on the head. You either sucked it up or you didn’t.

Wandering over to his sofa, he reached forward to grab his laptop, pulling it onto his knees as he began to type her name into the search bar.

“Alright _Rey J Kenobi_ …who are you?”

Clicking on the first link he recognized, YouTube sprung to life in front of him. The video was a few months old from a local promotion near New Jersey. There was nothing special about her ring attire or her presentation, but he supposed UCW would sort that out in minutes. He watched her movements carefully. She was a babyface through and through, full of fire and underdog spirit as she worked with the other girl on the screen.

Her rope running was sound enough, her character bubbly and charismatic but there was something just a little off about the way she carried herself. She was taking too many steps where she didn’t have to, hesitating just a moment too long. She was untrained but stronger than she probably knew.

His research continued, clicking link after link and watching her work. From her early matches that he couldn’t judge because everyone had been there some time, to her final match before being signed. She had certainly improved by miles, but she could be so much more.

She just needed a teacher.

00000

On the indies, it was rare that a promoter would book you a flight. It was all about spending as little as possible and getting the most for their money so the more they could save on travel, the better. Since they could fit more wrestlers in one car for the price of a tank of gas, or spend less on a bus ticket, flights weren’t that common.

It was hardly first class that Universal Championship Wrestling had them flying on, but the fact they were flying at all made Rey feel like she had stepped up a little in the world. She chatted excitedly with Rose and Jessika about the upcoming shows while scanning the rest of their travel plans.

They were flying from New York JFK airport to Seattle, Washington for the first TV tapings of the tour. From there they would take a hired car and drive to the shows in Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles before finishing the tour in Las Vegas and flying back home to New York City.

The thought of it all was almost overwhelming. Considering Rey had spent her career up to this point only wrestling two shows every weekend, suddenly going to wrestling almost every night was a shock to her system.

After landing, while waiting for their bags, she spied him, her eyes narrowing and lips pursing in irritation. He hadn’t looked her way since their altercation in the gym. He stood with his group, his dark features towering above most people and his eyes covered by a pair of black ray-ban sunglasses.

“Hmm. I didn’t think the great Kylo would be traveling with the rabble,” Rey drawled sarcastically. Rose followed her line of sight, watching Kylo take his bag while talking to Hux.

“Oh yeah, they’ll fly alright but don’t expect them to talk to any of us,” she said dryly, grabbing her own bag, “Let's go, we need to go straight to the venue,”

She cast him one last glance before taking hold of her own case with an annoyed huff. Today was too important to her to dwell on one arrogant man.

_No matter how handsome he is_

00000

It was a good arena for a first show. KeyArena at the Seattle Centre was set to be sold out, seating just over 17,000 people. It was small by UCW standards but considering the largest audience Rey had ever wrestled in front of was just under 1000, she didn’t want to get too ahead of herself.

Planning her match with Jessika hadn’t taken long but they had been given more time than Rey ever expected. On the indies, she would turn up and have perhaps an hour to talk to her opponent, learn it and maybe practice anything particularly dangerous. Now, they had agents telling them what they wanted to see, they had time to discuss, receive feedback and relax before the doors were due to open.

It still didn’t help her nerves.

Sitting quietly was a luxury Rey had never been afforded before. She sat alone in the empty stands, her feet propped onto the chair back in front of her, overlooking the ring and the large entrance way. In barely a few hours she was to make her debut for the largest wrestling company in the world and she wanted to soak in every second of the day.

A throat clearing next to her made her jump, her head snapping towards the sound, startled. So inside her own head, she hadn’t noticed anyone approach. Standing there, towering above her from her seated position, was Kylo Ren, two cups of Starbucks in his hand and an uncomfortable frown on his face.

“Hello,” Rey said coolly, looking away from him back towards the arena, “If you’re about to tell me that I’m in your seat then there are plenty of others to choose from,”

“Um…actually…this is for you,” he said, thrusting one of the large cups towards her. Tentatively, Rey reached out and accepted the drink, “I guess it’s a kind of…a peace offering,”

“A peace offering?”

“Well…yeah. I suppose I was kinda short with you and we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot...I didn’t know what you drank so I just got you the same thing I normally have…” he finished awkwardly.

Rey shot him a bemused smile, taking a sip from the cup. The bitterness immediately hit her tongue and she fought back the grimace. Of course, Kylo Ren would drink black coffee with no sugar, but he was trying in his own way, so she decided that she would do the same.

“So…yeah…that’s all I have to say I guess,” Rey smirked.

“You don’t apologize to people a lot, do you?” Kylo shuffled on his feet, his shoulders hunching and his eyes fixed on the cup he was fidgeting with. He reminded Rey more of an awkward teenager than the intimidating man she had previously met. His features seemed softer somehow and her smirk turned into a genuine smile.

“Well, here’s a tip for you. When you’re trying to apologize, it’s good to use the word ‘sorry’,” she smiled, “People tend to like that,”

She watched him intently, how his jaw worked in agitation, his mouth mushing together and Rey began to wonder how true her initial comment was. Kylo Ren wasn’t one for apologizing. At all.

“Okay, I’m…sorry,” he said, the final word spilling from his mouth like he had only just learned to speak it. Rey nodded.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely, “and thank you for the coffee, that was really nice of you,”

His body visibly relaxed, Rey, watching his muscles soften but still he stood awkwardly to the side of her, unsure if their conversation was over. Taking pity on him and his awkward manner, Rey patted the seat next to her.

“You can sit here if you want to,” she said, “I don’t actually bite when you’re not being an arsehole,”

He paused, his dark eyes flicking between Rey’s face and the seat she was indicating. Relenting, he took a seat next to her. Rey took a sharp inhale, the sudden feeling of his body so close to her made her stomach clench. She could smell his aftershave, heady and spiced. His bicep pressed against her arm and she fought the urge to simply grab at him to see if the muscle was as solid as it looked.

_Stop. That. Jackson._

“So, what are you doing up here alone? Aren’t your friends in the back?” he asked politely, watching the arena set up with her.

“They are but I wanted a bit of quiet time,” Rey said, “This is…kind of a big deal for me,” he nodded.

“I get it. First night, you want to make a good first impression,” he agreed, “I’m sure you’ll do great. I’ve watched your stuff and you’ve got a good ring presence,” Rey smiled widely, turning to face him.

“Oh my God,” she teased, “Was that a _compliment_ from the great Kylo Ren?”

The man had the good grace to blush, the tips of his ears turning pink through his dark, messy hair.

“Yeah, yeah alright. I was an asshole, I get it,” he said, rolling his eyes, “But…I mean it. There’s something there. Your fundamentals need work though, you need a teacher…”

“I have one,”

“I don’t mean Chewie…” he began but Rey shook her head.

“Neither do I,” she said, “I’m training with Luke Skywalker,”

Of all the reactions Rey had expected from Kylo, the sudden barked laugh from deep in his chest was not one of them, so loud she was sure the ring crew on the floor could hear him.

“Excuse me, but what the hell is so funny about that?!” she cried incredulously, “Luke was one of the greatest champions wrestling has ever seen!” Kylo continued to chuckle.

“He was. Now he’s a washed-up has-been still clinging onto the old ways,” Kylo scoffed, “His style, the way he trains…it’s all outdated. There’s no place for it in modern wrestling,” Rey scowled.

“Oh, and I suppose your way of training is better? All that Japanese strong style bollocks? Listen, just because you hit someone as hard as possible doesn’t make you a good worker…” Kylo snorted.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he spat, sitting up straight in the seat, “That’s not what strong style even is! Have you had a session with Luke yet? Has he taught you anything?” Rey clamped her mouth shut, her lips forming a tight line. Kylo smiled smugly.

“I thought not,” he said standing up to look down at her, “Tell you what, sweetheart, when you realize that Luke isn’t what you think he is, give me a call!”

“I’m not _giving_ you anything!” Rey snarled, crossing her arms petulantly. Kylo’s eyes shone in amusement, his eyebrow lifting in silent challenge.

“We’ll see,” he drawled confidently, “Good luck in your match tonight,”

He turned, walking from the stands to leave Rey alone once more, clutching the apology coffee and grumbling under her breath.

He was infuriating, opinionated, stubborn and most of all, Rey wished that he hadn’t smelled so good.

00000

“Where the hell have you been? Doors are open, the show is starting!” Hux snapped as Kylo walked back into the locker room towards his things. Methodically he began pulling out his gear to begin changing.

“What’s it to you?” he shrugged. Hux scowled.

“Well when you bugger off before doors when we still need to discuss the rest our involvement in your match, yeah, it’s my business,” he said. Hux and Mitaka were already changed into their matching tag team gear, their red long tights with black PVC boots, the First Order logo on the front of their black knee pads. Hux sat back, folding his arms.

“Look, you already know your parts,” Kylo said, “Just distract the ref when Dameron hits his finish, I’ll clock him with the belt. One, two, three. Job done,”

“So, is that _all_ we’ve to do? Just jump on the ring apron and wave about…surely they can get us to be a little more…”

“That’s what head office wants. That’s what they get,” Kylo snapped, pulling his shirt off as he changed, “We’re a _team_ remember…it’s not all about you…”

“But it does seem to be all about you, _champ_ ,” Hux growled. Kylo rolled his eyes without saying another word, pulling his black PVC trunks on, followed by his knee pads. He set about lacing up his boots.

Hux had always been the type to have a chip on his shoulder. He was a talented wrestler, but not nearly as good as he claimed to be. He felt like he deserved the rewards without the work. The tag team championships were never enough for him. Hux wanted singles gold and wasn’t quiet about his intentions.

“Look, I’ll be back…there’s something I got to go and do,” Kylo said, pulling a hooded sweater on over his gear and walking from the room, ignoring Hux’s shouts about how he was ‘buggering off again’.

Silently, Kylo walked towards the gorilla position, the place just before the curtain where the performers would wait to go out. A large monitor was placed there where workers could watch the show and see what was being broadcast to the audience.

_The following contest is set for one fall. Making her way to the ring, from London, England...Rey J Kenobi!_

His arms folded over his chest, he watched silently as she bounded down the ramp in her new gear, the light blue sparkles of the fabric glittering in the light as she moved. The company had come through for her, providing her with a whole new look that added so much to her presence.

“Kylo? What are you doing here?” He heard Phasma say as she approached the monitor from behind, “You’re not one for watching the women’s matches?” He shrugged.

“Colour me interested,” he said, “We’re going to be working with this girl…should probably see what she can do,” Phasma nodded slowly, a perfectly manicured eyebrow raised in question. He didn’t care if she was convinced or not.

_Rey with a beautiful combination of pins on Jessika. Fantastic agility on display from the newcomer!_

The commentary continued to highlight her athleticism, talking about her background, making sure the audience watching at home on TV would take to her and Kylo had to admit, she was doing a better job than he expected. She didn’t seem at all nervous, moving as naturally as she could in front of the 17,000 strong crowd.

Her footwork was still off but in comparison to Jessika, nobody seemed to notice.

_Textbook swinging neck breaker by Jessika Pava!_

She took her bumps like a champ, he thought, watching as the match continued. They were well past the heat, heading towards the finish. He flinched slightly, watching her take a german suplex, being thrown back over Jessika’s head to land on her shoulders. Phasma glanced at him from the corner of her eye, watching his reactions.

_Rey is setting her up…and there it is…the Sabersault and that’s the three count!_

 Jessika was prone lying in the center of the ring, Rey running towards the middle rope and jumping to use the bounce and backflip onto her opponent in a perfect splash. The crowd erupted, firmly behind UCW’s new female face and unbidden, Kylo smiled. She had done her job perfectly. Phasma frowned at him, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, Kylo…No,” she admonished, “Not her…” He snorted, the smile leaving his face as quickly as it had arrived.

“Fuck off, Phas…it’s nothing like that,” he snapped.

“Uhuh…see that it isn’t,” She left him with a knowing smile, walking away and swinging her hips confidently as she went.

Turning back to the monitor, Kylo indulged himself a while longer, watching her wave to the crowd from her place on the turnbuckle.


	4. Five Knuckle Shuffle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, Friday's update is going up early because I'm trash and I can't stick to a schedule...
> 
> Fun fact - The orange and white wrestling gear in this chapters moodboard is MY wrestling gear, designed and made for me. The picture of the girl throwing the other girl over her head? Also me!

[](https://imgur.com/WNPPYMq)

“The new gear looks amazing!” Rose gushed, “The colors are so…you!”

Backstage in the Chase Centre, San Francisco, Rey was being fitted for her new gear. She regarded herself with a keen eye, talking in the high shine white fabric, bordered in bright orange. The shorts sported the words ‘Rebel Scum’ on the side with an orange garter around her leg. It was bright, it was hopeful, and it was exactly what an audience expected to see a babyface in.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Rey agreed, “And probably cost more than my rent!”

She smoothed her hands over the fabric, delighting in the feel. Being a good wrestler was only one part of a very large puzzle. How you looked and what you wore in the ring was another. Dressed in a design that was made for her, Rey began to feel more at home in her Rey J Kenobi persona.

There was a knock on the door of the dressing room and Rose called for them to enter. Poe walked inside with a huge grin on his face.

“Hey! You look fantastic!” He cried happily, “Man, costume really did a great job putting that together at such short notice. You’re one of us now kid!” He wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulder, giving her a squeeze.

It was true, she smiled, they looked like a real team. Poe was already dressed in his gear, the short shorts colored with the same orange and white, the logo of the Resistance branded on both their knee pad covers.

“So, you remember the plan or do we need to run through it again?” he asked seriously.

“Wait until Phasma jumps onto the apron to try and distract the ref, I’ll run down, pull her to the floor and fight her off so you and Finn can get the pin,” she replied dutifully, and Poe nodded with a satisfied smile.

“This is going to be awesome!”

00000

Standing by the curtain, watching the tag team match begin, Rey was nervous.

Her hands twitched by her sides, clenching and unclenching her fists as she jumped on the balls of her feet. Nerves were good. If she wasn’t nervous then she didn’t care about her job. Rey only wished that her gut would stop twisting painfully.

_It’s going to be Finn Storm and Hux kicking off this non-title tag team match!_

Listening to the commentators from the monitor behind her, she could already hear the audience chanting for Finn as he circled Hux, clashing together in a vicious lock up that Rey knew was more than just an act.

Wrestling was like being in one large family and just like your family, you couldn’t always choose the people you were forced to interact with. It formed bonds of friendship stronger than steel and rivalries just as bitter. Hux and Finn had a long history, coming from the same training school, beginning a week apart. They had both been signed to UCW from the same tryouts.

_And that’s a beautiful, textbook dropkick from Finn Storm. Hux is forced to regroup and make the tag to Mitaka…but here comes Poe Dameron!_

Poe entered the ring with his typical brand of fire and enthusiasm, knocking Mitaka to the mat with a series of clotheslines across the smaller man’s chest. Mitaka scrambled to lean against the ropes, Poe grabbing his arm to throw him across the ring with an Irish whip. Mitaka ducked Poe’s high kick, jumping in the air on his rebound from the rope, hitting him with a cross body.

_Mitaka with the pin! 1, 2 and a kick out from Dameron who makes the tag to Finn._

The match continued, the crowd yelling fiercely as Mitaka distracted the referee to allow Hux the chance to cut Finn’s momentum off with a rake to his eyes. Rey winced, hoping that Hux had the sense to at least only make it _look_ good and that hadn’t actually thumbed Finn in the eye.

_This First Order group are so dominant with their hold on UCW. The champions now cutting the ring in half and isolating Finn from his partner. Of course, The First Order are joined by their stablemate, the dominant force in the women’s division, Phasma._

The heat of the match was well underway, the portion where the heels would dominate and cut off their opponent from his partner. Rey clutched at the curtain, watching Phasma swagger around the ring acting as their valet, screaming and shouting orders to her team, the women’s championship belt firmly on her shoulder.

The crowd began clapping in unison, urging Finn to get to his feet. Mitaka had him around the throat in a deep sleeper hold, Finn dropping to his knees to give the illusion of cracking Mitaka’s jaw. The smaller man released the hold bouncing back and selling his face.

_Finn is out! Both men are down and the referee has started the 10 count…Finn is up first, can he make the tag to his partner?! Dameron is fired up!_

Poe sprinted into the ring as Mitaka made the tag to Hux, leveling the redhead with strikes forcing him to take multiple bumps. Hux leaped to his feet, feeding perfectly into Poe’s german suplex. Seeing her cue, Phasma jumped onto the apron to pull the attention of the referee before he could start counting.

_Oh, come on! What is Phasma doing?! She has no business getting involved in this match!_

This was it. The stagehand shouted at Rey to go and she pushed through the black fabric, sprinting through the curtain and down the ramp to thunderous applause from the crowd.

_Who is…it’s Rey Kenobi! Rey J Kenobi is here…is she with the Resistance?!_

Just as discussed, she grabbed Phasma’s ankle, pulling the woman to the floor outside the ring and mounting her, hammering at her with well-practiced strikes as Phasma kicked and struggled under her. The larger woman pushed her off, Rey climbing onto the apron and checking that Phasma was in position.

Trust. It was all about trust. It didn’t matter how you felt about someone personally, you had to trust that they would do their job and protect your body. Taking a deep breath, Rey jumped onto the second rope, flipping herself backward towards the floor.

_Oh my God! Rey Kenobi with a beautiful sabersault to the area floor! Putting her body on the line to take out Phasma! Finn has the roll up…1,2…and the Resistance wins!_

Her landing hadn’t exactly been comfortable. The ring had flexibility while the floor outside had nothing but rubber mats that protected the area more than the wrestlers. She had trusted Phasma to do her job and much to her relief she had. Phasma’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to the larger woman’s body and absorbing a lot of the impact as they both hit the deck.

She jumped up, her blood pumping with adrenaline and she slid into the ring, grabbing Finn and Poe’s hands to raise them in victory, the crowd deafening around them.

_It looks like the playing field is a little more level now, but something tells me this rivalry is far from over!_

00000

Rey was still shaking with excitement as she walked back to the women’s locker room, the smile on her face pinching her cheeks.

The audience reaction was unlike anything she had expected considering she had only performed on two shows. Her twitter feed was blowing up, people following her droves and all vying for her attention. She shoved her phone in her bag. It was something she could deal with tomorrow.

The door to the locker room opened and Phasma walked in, a strangely proud smile on her face.

“Well done tonight, sweet pea,” she said politely, “Really, you did an excellent job!”

Rey regarded her warily. Phasma, while she had been slightly more cordial with her since their first meeting, had never said much more than what she had to. Hearing the woman offer praise so readily was disarming.

“Thank you,” Rey said carefully, “And thank you for catching me. Safe as houses!”

Phasma took a seat next to her luggage, scrutinizing Rey curiously.

“Did you expect that I wouldn’t?” Rey paled, her eyes going wide, shaking her head quickly.

“Oh! No, not at all…I just…well…”

“Let me tell you something right now,” Phasma said firmly, keeping her voice level, “I might not always be the friendly, touchy-feely type…but I am damn good at my job. If I say you’re safe with me, then you’re safe. I hope you understand that,” Rey nodded.

“I do!” she reassured, “I do. Thank you! I was just…well, that was nerve-wracking,” Phasma smiled, beginning to change from her ring gear.

“I understand you know, I was once in the same position,” she said, unzipping the back of her silver bodysuit, “We all have. Even the great Kylo…although you’d never believe it from the way he acts,”

Rey stiffened at the mention of his name. She hadn’t really spoken to him since his attempt at an apology and had only seen him briefly around the arenas they had worked in. To her chagrin and against her better judgment, she had found herself watching his matches, reasoning that if he was the heavyweight champion and the face of the company, then there was probably a reason for that.

It definitely had nothing to do with watching _that_ body in _those_ trunks.

“Speaking of, I hear you’ve had a few…tempestuous run-ins with our illustrious champion,” Phasma quipped. Rey frowned in question.

“Where did you hear that?” she asked, pulling her own clothes from her bag and unlacing her boots. Phasma shrugged.

“You know how it is. People around here know your business before you do,” she smiled. Rey snorted, pulling off her top and changing into a tee shirt.

“I mean…they’re not wrong. We don’t exactly get along like a house on fire. He’s very…”

“Cunty?” Rey smirked.

“I was going to say difficult…”

“Cunty is just another word for difficult, love,” Phasma said, “Listen, let me give you some advice about Kylo Ren. The man is a slut,” Rey stopped her movements in the middle of unfurling her jeans, blinking at the blonde woman.

“Excuse me?”

“He’s a male wrestler at the top of his game. He has women falling at his feet night in, night out and believe me, he takes _full_ advantage of that. A different girl, in a different city every tour. He’s a slut, a whore, a slag…”

“I…I get it, thanks,” Rey snipped uncomfortably.

She didn’t have a say in what he did. Hell, she barely knew the insufferable man and all of their interactions had ended in an argument. So why was her chest suddenly so tight? Why did it feel like her guts wanted to escape through her belly button and why, oh why, was she getting so angry?

“I’m just saying, of all the men to get involved with…Kylo probably isn’t your best bet. Not unless you want our healthcare team to provide you with penicillin,” She jested, “But anyway, onto a more palatable topic…are you coming to Paddy’s tonight?”

“What’s that?” Rey asked, pulling her jeans on and grabbing for her sneakers. Phasma stared at her incredulously.

“You haven’t been told?” she gasped, “It’s this Irish pub that everyone goes to any time we’re in San Francisco. The owner is a dear, he closes the place just so we can all have it to ourselves. You _must_ come! It’s a UCW tradition,”

Rey smiled genuinely at the woman. It was the first interaction she had with Phasma that wasn’t cold, clinical or sarcastic. Years around wrestling had taught her to be wary, that people weren’t always as genuine as they seemed, but she was going to be with UCW for some time and she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to make connections.

“Yeah…yeah that sounds great. I’m sure Rose and the guys will be going too,” she said happily, zipping up her suitcase and gathering her belongings. “Oh, and Phasma, thank you…for your advice I mean. That’s really nice of you,” Phasma grinned at her like a Cheshire cat.

“Of course, love. We Brits need to stick together,”

00000

“Johnny Walker black on the rocks,” Kylo said to the bartender, leaning on his forearms against the dark wood.

Paddy’s may have been a UCW tradition, but it wasn’t one that Kylo really ever enjoyed. Except for the free drinks, it wasn’t really his scene. The bar was packed to the rafters with wrestlers and crew, all laughing and celebrating a successful show. He accepted the glass that was put in front of him, sipping at the amber liquid and allowing the warming feeling to slip down his throat and settle in his chest.

They claimed that they closed the bar for the workers, but as always, fans managed to slip through. Ring rats looking to try their luck with the boys, to go back to their hotel rooms and leave the following morning with a story to tell their friends. Kylo’s nose wrinkled in distaste. He’d be a hypocrite to say he hadn’t indulged more than once but the experience always left him hollow.

These girls, they never gave him a connection, there was no fire. They would agree to almost anything he said to just to say they had slept with Kylo Ren. He didn’t want to be a story for a wrestling groupie. For all the enthusiasm they showed in bed, he may as well have cut his losses and just jerked off.

The conversation after would have been far more stimulating.

A booth in the corner of the room broke into loud laughter and he glanced in its direction. Rey was sitting in the middle of her friends, smiling so brightly he could have sworn she was bringing light to that corner of the room. The toasted, clinking their glasses as they chatted about things he was too far away to hear over the din of the room.

Telling himself he had to stay up to speed with the First Order storylines, he had watched her involvement in the tag match. She was fearless, incandescent in her orange and white gear as she worked, throwing herself onto Phasma with a move that most seasoned veterans weren’t brave enough to pull off. There was so much raw potential to be molded, if only she would let him.

“Oh dear. Here he is, standing at the bar on his lonesome again,” Phasma teased, sauntering up to his side and gesturing to the bartender to give her a beer. Kylo had yet to look away from Rey’s table, a detail that hadn’t escaped Phasma’s keen eye.

“Maybe I like standing at the bar alone Gwen,” Kylo drawled, sipping his whiskey. Phasma rolled her eyes.

“Or maybe it’s because you’ve got a better view of a certain someone’s table,” she shot back, “Rey is looking _very_ pretty this evening isn’t she?”

“I’m going to pretend to not know what you’re getting at and you’re going to shut the fuck up,” Kylo growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously, “There’s nothing going on,” Phasma smiled smugly.

“No, but you’d like there to be,” She stated plainly, “Kylo, there are loads of pretty girls in here gagging to get their mouths around your cock…relieve some tension the old-fashioned way instead of pining like a schoolboy!” Kylo sneered, his lip curling in disgust.

“You know I don’t do that,” he said, “I’m not interested in ring rats,” Phasma smirked, grabbing her beer from the bar.

“Suit yourself but there’s a blonde at the other end of the bar who has been staring at you for quite some time. Go on, make her night,” she shrugged, “You might just feel better,”

Kylo watched Phasma walk back to her table with a deep frown set on his face, taking a long drink of his whiskey. Another burst of laughter came from the booth and he turned his head to watch Rey, grinning with her arms around Finn’s neck, her head on his shoulder.

He clenched his teeth, biting the inside of his cheek hard, his fingers curling tightly around the almost empty glass. She wasn’t his. They were barely what you could class as friends at this point, but seeing her smiling like that, her eyes sparkling at another man gave him an uncomfortable pang in his chest. Looking away, his eyes found the girl Phasma had gestured to, the sudden eye contact giving her an opportunity to approach him.

“Oh my God, Kylo Ren, I am _such_ a huge fan,” the girl said, her accent pitched and nasal. He finished his drink, the ice clinking in the glass.

“Thanks,” he replied dryly, “Always nice to hear,”

Boldly, the girl stroked his forearm, her large doe eyes staring up at him suggestively.

“I know it’s early, but I’d love to show you just how big a fan I am…” she whispered huskily, pushing her chest forward in a manner that he almost deemed laughable. The girl couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d hung a sigh around her neck.

Glancing once more to the booth, he stilled. Rey was looking right at him, the smile on her face dimmed. He could have sworn she almost looked sad until he saw her brows furrow and her lips pursed. Grunting, he tore his eyes away from the booth and back to the blonde in front of him.

“You know what? Let’s go,” he said, sliding the glass to the bartender and gesturing to the door. The blonde smiled triumphantly, leading the way out of the bar with Kylo behind her.

From a side table, Hux’s arm slung over her shoulder, Phasma watched on with a malicious smile.

“What are you up to Gwen?” Hux asked in amusement. Phasma shrugged innocently.

“Oh, you know me Armie dear,” she drawled, “I get bored…and these two are just _too_ fun to play with!”

00000

Christ, this girl could talk.

He was barely listening at they walked down the street towards his hotel room. Outside of the noisy bar, he realized that she was like nails on a chalkboard, cutting to his ears. He could barely hide the wince on his face as she spoke.

“And your match tonight against Snap Wex? Oh my God, it was amazing. You’re so amazing!” she gushed. Kylo fought an eye roll, wondering briefly if the girl knew any other adjectives.

She continued enthusiastically, Kylo listening to her and hearing nothing but white noise. His mind drifted back to the bar, to the beautiful English wrestler he had been watching. Her presence lit up those around her, she was just so…light.

He stopped walking, the girl continuing for a few steps until she realized he was no longer next to her.

“Is…everything okay?” she asked curiously. Kylo shoved his hands in his jean pockets.

“Listen…not tonight okay?” he said as kindly as he could. The girl blinked at him disbelievingly.

“Wait…what?”

“I said, I changed my mind. I’m not interested,” he said, pulling out some bills from his pocket, “Here’s some money for a cab or something…”

“I don’t want your money!” the girl spat indignantly, “and if you don’t want to get with this then that’s your loss!” She snapped, storming away as quickly and with as much dignity as a woman scorned could in five-inch heels.

Kylo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly before looking at his knuckles.

“Looks like it’s just you and me tonight,”


	5. Boom. Head Shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always a great big thank you to everyone who is reading and supporting this little story of mine! I'm so thrilled that the non-wrestling fans are enjoying it and learning some things from it!
> 
> Sunday's update will be a little late due to some real life things. We're looking probably more Monday or Tuesday. Diamond Dogs will still be updated Wednesday.

[](https://imgur.com/relHMCb)

The remainder of the tour had become a blur of TV tapings, local gym visits, and sightseeing during the spare few hours they had in each city.

Falling back into their regular routine on the road, Rey felt the familiar comfort of traveling with her friends. She was pleased to see that working for a larger company hadn’t changed any of their habits. Poe still insisted on doing all the driving while Finn would take shotgun and therefore control of the music. Rose still promised to stay awake but would always fall asleep less than an hour into the journey.

The shows were larger, the pay was certainly better, but it was nice to see that some things never changed.

Feeling motivated, Rey was grinning from ear to ear as she entered the performance center for her first lesson with Luke Skywalker. It would be basic, she knew that. It was the whole point of his lessons, but to learn the basics from such a name was an honor and one that he didn’t grant to many people. She was determined to grab the opportunity with both hands.

Dumping her things in her cubby space, Rey changed quickly and grabbed what she was told to bring, making her way to the empty practice hall. She climbed into one of the rings and began to stretch.

“What are you doing?”

Glancing up from her position face first on the mat, Rey saw Luke standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and a blasé look on his face.

“Um…I’m warming up for our lesson,” Rey replied slowly, her features etched in confusion, “Am I doing it…wrong?” Luke snorted.

“You’re not going to need to do that. Did you bring a notebook and a pen like I asked?” She nodded, “Good. Follow me,”

Rey rolled from the ring, following Luke down the corridor. Assuming they were heading to the gym, her confusion only grew when they walked straight past the door and stopped at one of the meeting rooms. He leads her inside and gestured for her to take a seat.

“Today we’re going to be going all the way back,” he said, picking up the control for the TV mounted on the wall, “You need to learn the basics, learn them well, and there’s no better place to start than British World of Sport,”

“You mean…we’re not going to be doing any actual wrestling today?” Rey asked, “I’m going to be watching tapes?” Luke raised an eyebrow at her.

“Is that a problem?” he asked coolly, “Because if I remember rightly, you’re the one who asked me for help? If you don’t like the way I teach…”

“Oh no!” Rey said quickly, “Not at all…I just…wanted to clarify. That’s all,” Luke nodded, turning his attention back to the TV.

“As I was saying, World of Sport ran in the UK from 1965 to 1985 and was the showcase for masters of mat wrestling like Johnny Kidd, Marty Jones, and Johnny Saint. These men were pioneers of technical wrestling and footwork…”

Rey smiled tightly, watching the footage begin. Tapes were useful and knowing the history of wrestling was invaluable but modern professional wrestling had evolved past this in her eyes. Simply put, while an audience could be enamored by a single match played out in this style by two extremely proficient wrestlers, a full show of it was boring.

You needed a bit of everything from technical masters to high flying luchadores to bruising brawlers to create a well-rounded experience. For a personal point of view, Rey found technical wrestling dull as hell.

But Luke was right. She had asked for his help and he had agreed when he really didn’t have to, so she gripped her pen tightly and began taking notes, listening to the man talk over the footage about how Johnny Saint was moving fluidly through his steps, how many he was taking and the small nuances of his babyface character that added to the psychology of the match.

It had taken 20 minutes before there was even anything as exciting as a dropkick.

Reaching for her bottle of water, her eyes were glued to the screen, but her mind began to wander. Try as she might to fight against it, her thoughts always drifted back to Kylo and the conversation she had with Phasma.

The woman had made it clear that Kylo was more than a little promiscuous, but it wasn’t until she had joined her friends at the bar that Rey really began to believe the possibility. From the corner of her eye, she had watched him, standing alone but seemingly content with his drink. He wasn’t actively pursuing women but then again, why would he? He didn’t have to and that much was obvious when the tall, impossibly glamorous blonde girl approached him.

It seemed to Rey they had barely spoken two words before he was walking her out of the bar. Back to his hotel room, no doubt.

_How the hell do you compete with that?_

The rest of the tour, their interactions had been brief. Only speaking when absolutely necessary and mainly about matches they were both involved in now she was part of the bigger story. She wasn’t avoiding him per say, but the feelings he was stirring up made her uncomfortable when all she wanted to do was her job.

He wasn’t hers, she reminded herself, gripping the pen with white knuckles, scribbling furiously in a chicken scratch that she was sure reading later would be impossible. They were barely friends, so why was she feeling so possessive? It’s not like he was thinking of her at all.

“Rey? Are you still paying attention?” Luke demanded. Rey’s head snapped up from her paper and she nodded absently.

“Yeah…yeah definitely,” Luke turned back to the TV, using the control to switch to another tape.

Suppressing a groan, Rey stretched her arms above her head, rolling her neck to find relief from sitting for so long. Involuntarily, her body flinched when she realized that Kylo was walking past the door, the state air of the room sticking in her throat.

There was an unusual expression on his face when he clocked her, stopping in his walk down the corridor. Sadness? Frustration? Lust? Longing? Rey didn’t want to hope that any of it was true. Opening herself up like that when she had already been warned would only lead to disaster. There was no time to dwell on it as his eyes flickered towards Luke then back to her.

Slowly, a smug smirk replaced whatever she had been seeing before and she glowered at him. How she learned was none of his damn business.

 His mocking chuckle echoed down the corridor as he walked away.

00000

House shows were different from the large weekly tours. They weren’t taped for TV, had smaller entrance sets and productions. They didn’t even have commentators. Generally, wrestlers were given a little more freedom in how they planned their matches. Something that Rey hadn’t considered when she was told that she’d be heading out on a house show was that it didn’t involve the full cast and as a result, it was only going to be her and Rose on this run. Finn and Poe were being given separate duties.

“You’ll still have your story with the Resistance and the First Order, and there will be some shenanigans there…but it’ll just be you for the scheduled nights,” Leia had explained.

It made Rey nervous. Not that she wasn’t sure she could handle it herself, but it was strange not having her friends with her for the first time since she arrived at UCW.

At least she had Rose with her and as one of the only women on the run, Rose was going to be her first opponent in a typical face versus face match that would result in a disqualification finish when Hux and Mitaka would come to the ring to get involved. There was a plan in place for future shows for Rose to join the Resistance, their friendly match laying the groundwork for later.

Rey was standing at the curtain, bouncing on her feet to get the blood pumping through her body. Hux sauntered past with Mitaka quietly at his heels.

“Are you sure you know the plan?” he asked dismissively, “I’m not going to cover for you if you mess it up!” Rey scowled at him.

“I’ll be in place,” she said indignantly, “Just you be ready to catch and try not to drop me on my head,”

He glared at her, a retort on the tip of his tongue but there was no time when the curtain hand shouted at Rey to go. Quickly, Rey gave Rose a hug reciting the mantra ‘good luck and stay safe’ before she burst her way out to the stage.

“The following is a singles match, set for one fall. Making her way to the ring, from London England, Rey J Kenobi!”

The announcer's voice rang through the arena, the crowd coming to their feet, clapping and cheering for the bubbly girl in her Resistance colors. She grinned, waving to the crowd from her place on the turnbuckle, noticing more and more signs being waved with her name on them.

“And introducing her opponent, making her way to the ring from Salt Lake City, Utah, ‘Razor’ Rose Tico!”

Rose skipped down to the ring, all smiles, and enthusiasm for the joyous crowd. She wore her trademark steampunk goggles on her head, stopping at the bottom of the ramp to give them to an elated child.

She slid into the ring, pulling off her entrance coat and handing it to the stagehand. The referee called for the bell and immediately Rey and Rose locked up, clashing together and testing each other for strength.

It was a typical match they had done a thousand times together. They would start with some basic hold for hold wrestling, some pins before breaking into the middle ‘heat’ section of the match where one would have the upper hand. Rey would fight back afterward, and they would take it home. By then, Hux and Mitaka would have seen their cue. At least she hoped they would.

It wasn’t that Rey didn’t trust them. Mitaka seemed nice enough, if not very quiet, but Hux was another story. His manner was polite but always with a sneering undertone. He looked down his nose at everyone, declaring himself the best but having nothing to show for his boasting.

The match continued, Rose cutting Rey off with a huge running knee strike, bringing the girl to her back. Kicking out of the pin, she heard the referee telling her to hit the sabersault for the signal. Fighting back and slamming Rose to the mat, Rey ran and jumped, the crowd going wild for her trademark finish and as she landed, she smiled secretly, hearing the change in the reaction which told her Hux and Mitaka had run down the ramp.

Hux was arguing with the referee at ringside, distracting long enough that they couldn’t count the pin. Rey, playing her part, jumped up from Rose, striding over to where Hux stood.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” She screamed, “You have no business out here during the women’s match!”

Hux smirked, goading Rey into climbing through the ropes, pulling her attention away from Mitaka hitting Rose with a huge running clothesline. Gritting her teeth, Rey leaped from the ring apron as planned, wrapping her legs around Hux’s neck.

_Well…he caught me at least…_

Holding her firmly by the thighs as Rey tried to twist and flip him to his back, Hux hauled her back up only to throw her to the ground with a powerbomb to the floor.

The pain across her back was instantaneous and the cry that left her mouth was no sell. A burning sensation crawled across her shoulder, her lungs screaming for oxygen. She opened her mouth to inhale but everything was so tight, it was like trying to take a deep breath through a thin straw. She was winded, as she had been countless times before, but something felt different, the pain in her shoulder was too much for it to be just another wrestling bump.

Hux, playing his part, swaggered back up the ramp towards the entrance way, the crowd booing him the whole time.

00000

Kylo was sitting lacing his boots when Hux casually wandered back into their locker room. House shows were his bread and butter and generally, he preferred them to the pressure of TV tapings. Live microphone based promos were easier, less restricted as long as he stuck to key points and the matches were always far more fun.

He glanced up from tying the knot on his boot to see Hux grabbing a bottle of complimentary water.

“Well, how did that go?” Kylo asked, reaching for his hooded sweater and pulling it on over his bare chest. He was never a fan of just walking around in his trunks unless he was headed to the ring. Hux shrugged.

“I’m amazed you weren’t out by the monitor watching,” he smirked, “Since you’re so interested in the…storyline,” Kylo didn’t miss the pointed look in his direction.

“And what is that supposed to me?”

“Oh, nothing at all,” Hux said with faux innocence, “Only that it seems interesting to me that you only seem to be keeping a track of our story when a certain Resistance member is on the screen…that’s all,” Kylo frowned at the man, crossing his arms over his chest and sitting back.

“I think you’re reading too much into things,” Kylo drawled, “She’s green. We need to know what we’re working with and that’s all. I’m not about to have our biggest story of the year leading up to Starkiller be ruined by some rookie,”

“Hmm. Well, she can take her bumps well that’s for sure,” Hux quipped, “Although it’s a shame about that headshot,” Kylo’s eyes narrowed, his body snapping to attention.

“What headshot?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear?” Hux said lightly, “Well she took that powerbomb to the floor and, I don’t know what happened, she must have forgotten to tuck her head or something. EMTs were dealing with her when I left,”

“Are you fucking serious?!” Kylo shouted, jumping to his feet, “You knocked the girl out and you didn’t even stay to check on her?”

“I’m sure she’s just fine,” the ginger man shrugged, “Besides, not my problem…”

Kylo’s jaw clenched so painfully he was sure a tooth was going to crack, his mouth worked as he tried to decide which feeling to focus on first. He was irate at Hux. As a wrestler, the first rule was always to look after your opponent. Accidents happened but if they did, it was best practice to check and make sure that your opponent was alright. Hell, at least _apologize_ for your part in it.

Swaggering backstage without a care in the world was not how things were done.

Rey was stubborn and as tough as they came but that didn’t mean she could easily take a huge bump on the floor or a knock to the head without consequence. She trusted Hux with her body and the arrogant bastard took advantage. Kylo glared at Hux, his dark eyes seething.

“What? Was it something I said?”

Growling audibly, Kylo stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him so hard the lockers quivered. Chuckling to himself, Hux wandered over to his bag to grab his phone.

_< Hux> You were right Gwen. They are just too much fun to play with_

00000

“Alright, lift your arm parallel to the ground for me,” the trainer instructed, Rey, sitting on the medical table doing as she was asked, “How does that feel?”

“It’s a little tight but I can move it,” Rey said, scrunching her nose in discomfort, “Hurts like hell though,” The trainer nodded, gently feeling around the back of her left shoulder.

“I think you’ve maybe just come down on it a little hard,” he said, “Keep it moving, try not to sleep on it and we’ll check it in the mor…”

The door to the room burst open without warning, cutting off the trainers sentence and causing the room inhabitants to jump in fright. Like a dark silhouette against the light from the arena backstage corridor, Kylo was standing in the doorway panting, his face slightly flushed.

“Rey, are you alright?” He asked, still slightly out of breath. Rey stared at the man in shock, slowing dropping her arm to her side.

“Um yeah, Kylo, I’m…fine,” she said confused, “Did you…did you run here?” Kylo straightened, his brows furrowing.

“Hux said you hit your head…that you got knocked out,” he wondered. Rey shook her head.

“No? I had the air knocked out of me when I landed on my back and my shoulder is a bit knocked but other than that…” she said, still blinking at him like he’d lost his mind.

“Oh. Okay…so…you’re good then?” Kylo said awkwardly, suddenly very aware that he had sprinted through the back of the arena for no reason. Rey nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

“Yeah…I’m good,” she said softly, “Thanks for checking,”

Kylo cleared his throat, his hands bunching in the sleeves of his sweater. There had been something different in his face. A softness, a gentleness that she hadn’t seen from him before. She could have sworn there had been a genuine worry in his dark eyes, the thought making her stomach clench from the attention. It was short lived as his mask of cool, collected indifference returned.

“Of course,” he said flippantly, “We have a lot of important storylines coming up. We need everyone at one hundred percent. I need to go…got a match coming up,”

Rey nodded mutely, watching him with longing in her eyes as he left the room.

_What the fuck was that?_


	6. Rats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TGIF folks and welcome to your PD3 update!
> 
> Big love and thank you to everyone who is reading, commenting and sharing! Especially loving the non-wrestling fans who are enjoying learning all the ins and outs!
> 
> Love you all! See you next Friday for another update <3

[](https://imgur.com/4C8MqCY)

“So, let me get this straight…he thought you were knocked out?”

“Yes,”

“And he came _running_ to the trainers' room?”

“Apparently,”

“Like…not powerwalking…running?”

“Certainly, looked that way,”

“And he asked if you were alright?”

“For the last time, yes!” Rey groaned, exasperated. She’d recited the story of Kylo appearing at the trainer’s room to her friend three times now and Rose was still confused, “I was there. He turned up and looked very concerned then he left…which made me confused…”

A slow smile spread over Rose’s face, ominous and conspiratorial.

“Oh my God…what if he likes you?” Rey snorted, clutching her coffee cup as they sat in the living room of Rose and Paige’s shared apartment.

“He has a funny way of showing it,” she muttered into her cup, “Not that it matters. He’s such a dick to everyone! I couldn’t be with a guy like that…”

“Hmm. So you say,” Rose said, “But I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Kylo Ren showing concern towards anyone…ever…”

“He said it himself, we have to work together and if someone gets injured it could mess with the whole story,” Rey excused, “Sounds selfish to me,” Rose made a non-committal humming noise, sipping her own coffee.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Rose shrugged, “Just sounds like an awful lot of protesting if you ask me…from both sides,”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Rey asked defensively. Rose smirked.

“You like him,”

What followed was a rather undignified splutter, Rey accidentally inhaling her coffee.

“I…what…no…that’s not…I don’t…” Rey stammered, flailing wildly and smacking herself on the chest to clear the sudden intrusion. Rose simply continued to smile sweetly.

“Sure Jan,” she quipped with a raised eyebrow.

“You spend too much time on Tumblr…”

“All I’m saying is if you did like him, what’s the big deal?” Rose continued, “He’s a good-looking guy. I doubt anyone would blame you!”

“Urgh, this is what I hate about wrestling!” Rey moaned, “It’s always _something_. There are always hormones flying around somewhere!”

“Not everywhere…” Rose grumbled bitterly under her breath. Rey shot her a sympathetic look.

“Finn still isn’t playing ball?”

“No!” Rose moaned, “We kissed…on the last night of the tour. We kissed, and we had this amazing night, and everything was perfect…then the next day he’s all ‘oh, I don’t think this is a good idea’. I mean, is it me?”

“It is _not_ you!” Rey replied fiercely, “It’s Finn. He’s being a bloody idiot and I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”

“Please don’t do that!” Rose insisted, “Then he’ll know I told you!”

“He should probably know that anyway…”

“It doesn’t matter. Things are complicated enough without the rumor mill going into overdrive!”

Rey sighed. That’s what it always boiled down to in wrestling. Rumors, gossip, whispers. Everyone claimed to hate the gossip, but in the same sentence, would be the first to tell you the latest news. There was nothing a wrestler seemed to hate more than being out of the loop.

The door to the apartment opened and Paige walked in, followed by Poe.

“Oh! Rose…Rey…I didn’t know you guys would be here!” Paige exclaimed in surprise, stilling with Poe behind her, “Poe was just here to…help me go over some of the promo stuff I have to do for next week,” she said awkwardly. Rose nodded slowly.

“Okay,” she replied, drawing out the word, “I thought you had training today with Finn and Jessika?” Poe shrugged.

“Nah, I got it changed,” He said simply, leaving no room for further questioning when he ushered Paige into her room. Rose turned to Rey.

“That was weird right? It seemed weird…”

“No, you’re right. That was weird,”

00000

More tapes.

Rey leaned her head on her hand, clutching at her hair in frustration. It was the fifth lesson in a row where Luke had refused to take her to the ring to let her put the theory into practice. At first, it was a sound teaching method but as time wore on, Rey couldn’t suppress her frustration.

Her feelings were only compounded by the memory of Kylo’s mocking snigger.

“Rey? Are you even listening?” Luke asked, “I get the feeling you’re not engaged today,”

“It’s not that…” Rey sighed, “It’s just…and don’t take this the wrong way, how is this supposed to help me? I feel like this is just wasting time,”

“Wasting time?” Luke repeated incredulously, “You think learning the history of your profession is wasting time?”

“No! Not like that…I mean…It’s obviously very important,” she said, “but I’m more of a practical learner and this…I struggle to stay engaged with this kind of thing and Kylo…” Luke’s eyes sharpened.

“What about Kylo?”

“He…well he suggested a more practical style of training,” Rey said shyly, suddenly taking a great interest in the pen on the table in front of her.

“Let me tell you something about Kylo,” Luke said, “I’m sure he didn’t mention that I was his first trainer,”

Rey shook her head. Really Kylo hadn’t told her anything about himself, let alone the details of his training. Knowing where he came from, Rey had always assumed his mother and father had been the ones to train him.

“Well I was. The kid was always full of energy and a lot of anger. I mean _a lot_! He was reckless, dangerous…eventually Leia sent him to my school to see if I could help. Train him in the classic ways. He had so much potential, so much talent…” Luke said wistfully. Rey frowned.

“So…what happened?”

“Snoke happened,”

“Snoke…as in…the owner of UCW Snoke?” Rey asked. Luke nodded.

“The very same,” he confirmed, “Little did we know, as soon as Kylo was out on the circuit, he’d already been in contact with him. Filling his head with all kinds of nonsense. The night he left, we got into a very nasty argument…he ended up walking out and taking up Snoke’s offer of training in Japan. He didn’t speak to me or Leia for a very long time,”

“So, he just abandoned his family because something better came along?” Rey said hotly, a deep scowl etched on her features.

Red hot fury pulsed through her. She may not have agreed with how Luke was teaching her at that moment but growing up, Rey would have killed for the opportunity Kylo had. He was a third-generation wrestler. His grandfather, his mother and uncle, his father, all of them were living legends in the industry. He didn’t have to pay for his training or struggle for bookings like she had. Everything she had, she earned through grit and determination.

Kylo threw everything away over nothing but a petty squabble?

“Eventually, once he was finished with his contract overseas he sighed for Snoke,” Luke continued, “We talk, but it’s…polite, at best. Leia was always the more forgiving one,”

“But…if Snoke caused all these problems, how can you both work for him? Look what he’s done to your family!” Luke carded his hand through his shaggy hair uncomfortably.

“Because the truth is, you know as well as I do, that the wrestling world is getting smaller. If you don’t work for Snoke, you either go overseas or you starve,” He said, “Leia and I aren’t stupid. When we were contacted we were in the process of creating our own company…something that would rival UCW. He offered us these roles to keep us close. I suppose you could say we sold our soul to the devil,”

Rey nodded mutely. Snoke’s monopoly on the wrestling industry was well known but it still filled her with an uneasy dread knowing the lengths he went to in order to keep his company on top. Did Kylo really abandon his family for such a monster?

“But enough about my family woes,” Luke said, turning his attention back to the screen, “Do you wish to continue?” Rey nodded.

“Yeah…yeah, carry on,”

00000

Luke had given Rey a lot to think about and almost none of it had to do with her own wrestling.

His story about Kylo, how he had abandoned his family, was still in the forefront of her mind as she wandered to the women’s locker room. It felt illogical, strange, to her to feel angry over something that was none of her business but to throw away such a privileged upbringing seemed so selfish. Knowing Kylo as she did, it also didn’t seem that far removed from his personality, but was it really all that simple? Could the man have been that much of a brat that a simple disagreement in teaching lead him to up and leave at the first better offer?

Grunting in annoyance, her confusion and thoughts bleeding into her mood, Rey shoved in things into her bag carelessly, throwing the backpack over her shoulder to leave. Her eyes cast to the floor and walking with purpose, Rey almost didn’t notice the large, black-clad figure she walked into.

“Oh, hello…” she said quietly. Kylo stared back at her with a similar, uncertain expression. He hadn’t seen her since their interaction in the trainer’s room.

“Hi,” He replied shortly, “How’s your shoulder?”

“It’s better. Just a little bit stiff but I can still wrestle on it,” Rey said. The silence between them stretched out uncomfortably, Kylo rubbing the back of his neck.

“Good. That’s good,”

Why couldn’t he think of anything to say? She was standing there, looking up at him with that curious expression of hers and no words would come. Wrestling. Wrestling was what they had in common and he had to say something to relieve the tension that was building.

“You know, if you ever want to try anything out in the ring…I’m more than strong enough to base for you. If you ever get bored of Luke…” Rey’s eyes narrowed, her mouth turning down into a small frown.

“You ditch your family and the training they offered and now you’re trying to get me to do the same?” She accused.

“Excuse you?” Kylo hissed, “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

“You heard me!” she snapped, “and after a little conversation with Gwen and your display at that bar, I know everything there is to know about you!” A mocking smile appeared on his face.

“You do?” Rey said nothing, her jaw clenched and her eyes burning, “Oh, you do…”

“You walked away from everything…”

“And _you_ have no idea what you’re talking about,” he growled, “You hear one side of a story and some locker room gossip and you think you’ve got me all figured out huh?”

“I’ve heard enough…”

“ _Enough_ isn’t the truth, Rey,” he said plainly, “Don’t you come at me being all self-righteous when every conversation we seem to have ends like…like…this!”

“You’re the one with the arrogant attitude!”

“Yeah and you’re the one who always jumps on the defense!” he fired back, “Maybe you need to sit back and take a look at your own attitude,” Rey snorted indignantly.

“Oh, go and tell it to one of your ring rats!” she snapped, “Which is it tonight? Redhead? Blonde?”

“What the hell are you even talking about?”

“Gwen told me all about you and how you are with girls,” Rey elaborated, “and believe me, I don’t want to be one of them!” Kylo stared at her in open-mouthed horror, barely believing what he was hearing. What the fuck had Phasma told this girl?

“Listen, it’s none of your damn business what I do but for your information, it’s not true alright…” Rey scoffed rolling her eyes.

“Don’t give me that, I saw it with my own eyes!” she said, “You left the bar with that blonde girl…”

“And nothing happened. I went back to the hotel alone,” he explained, irritated, “Not that I need to explain myself to you! Especially when you were hanging all over Finn…”

“Finn?! Are you fucking serious?” Rey cried, “Finn is my best friend who is dating my other best friend! There’s nothing there…wait, why am I even explaining this to you?!”

During the course of their argument, Rey had barely noticed how close they had become, her body inches away from his, both breathing deeply, their faces dark with anger. Kylo’s nostrils flared, his dark eyes burning as he pegged her with his unrelenting stare.

“You know what, believe what you want,” he said quietly, his voice taking on a strange softness that caught her off guard, “I’m not going to try and change your mind. Nice talking to you Rey, always a pleasure,”

He pushed past her, his shoulder brushing hers as he walked away, leaving her alone in the empty hall. Rey’s eyes stung, causing her to blink rapidly. The last thing she wanted was to be caught crying, especially when there was no reasonable explanation she could give.

What had she done? It was as if something in her had snapped, Luke’s story still fresh in her mind and before she knew it, she was throwing accusations at him. Her stomach churned, chest tight, she sniffed back her tears loudly. He might have been an arsehole, but did he really deserve that?

_Nope. Look who the arrogant arsehole is now Jackson…_

Taking a deep breath, she secured her bag onto her shoulder, continuing her walk down the hall, hearing a different set of voices before she rounded the corner.

“You need to tell her!”

“Baby, I will…I just need a little time. We all work together, we need to be careful about this!”

Rey flattened herself against the wall, hiding from the conversation, sneaking a peek to see Poe and Paige standing together. Her arms were crossed, and he was rubbing her shoulders gently.

“I just…I hate all this lying. Especially to Rose. The other day was too close a call!” Paige sighed, “It’s not fair to anyone,” Poe nodded.

“I know, I feel the same way,” Poe agreed, “Look, I want to be with you…Jess gets back from the house tour at the end of the week. I’ll finally have some time to see her and I’ll end things. I promise,”

Rey’s eyes widened, watching the interaction silently.

“I know,” Paige said softly, “I believe you,”

“I love you,”

“I love you too,”

Rey waited silently until the pair had moved on, peeling herself from the wall.

_Rats. We’re all just fucking rats._

00000

“Hux! Open the fucking door, I know you’re in there!” Kylo bellowed, his fist hammering on the door of Hux’s apartment. The door opened to reveal the perplexed redheaded man.

“Do you mind _not_ causing a scene in front of the whole building,” Hux snipped and Kylo barged past him into the apartment, “Come in why don’t you…”

Kylo stomped into the living room to see Phasma lounging on the sofa, a cup of tea in her hands.

“Good, you’re here because you were my next visit!” Kylo growled. Phasma smiled sweetly.

“Kylo darling, I trust this is more than just a social call on our day off?” she quipped, “You seem like you have something on your mind…”

“Do both of you want to tell me what the fuck you’re playing at?” he snarled, pointing to Phasma, “What the hell were you doing telling Rey that I was some sort of fuck boy who chases groupies? You know that’s a lie!” Phasma shrugged, the same innocent smile on her lips.

“Well it’s obvious the girl likes you, Kylo, I just thought I’d temper her expectations…”

“By telling her that I fuck any girl I can?!” he turned to Hux, “And you? You told me that she was knocked out when she wasn’t…”

“I thought it would be interesting to see your reaction…and I was right, it was!” he said, “Coffee?”

“No, I don’t want a cup of fucking coffee!” Kylo barked, “I want whatever little game you two are playing to end now! It’s not funny,”

“Oh, I don’t know…watching you chase your tail because you don’t know how to talk to a girl is very funny…” Phasma commented.

“A girl who won’t talk to me because she thinks I’m a man slut!” Phasma scoffed.

“Let’s not be dramatic, dear,” she said, “Besides, think of how wonderful all this tension will play out on TV!” Kylo scowled.

“I don’t give a shit. End it. Now!” Phasma glanced at Hux who sent a smirk in her direction before she looked back to Kylo.

“Whatever you say, champ,”

Growling under his breath, Kylo stormed from the apartment, the front door slamming loudly in his wake. Phasma grinned widely at Hux.

“At this rate…he won’t make it to Starkiller,”

00000

Kylo screamed in frustration as he entered his own apartment, pacing the length of his living room, his hands wildly scraping through his messy dark hair. His whole body was tense, his shoulders solid and aching with the strain. He needed relief, anything to calm the adrenaline that was pumping through his body.

The way she had looked, defiantly glaring up at him without fear, slinging accusations at him. Without a scrap of makeup on her face, her long hair scraped back in a messy bun, she had still looked perfect. Those wide, hazel eyes were lit with a fire that burned with more than just anger. Her mouth turned in a snarl that he could vividly see calling his name.

Relief. That’s exactly what he needed. Throwing himself back to his sofa, Kylo pulled the catch of his jeans, reaching below the waistband of his boxers to take hold of his rapidly hardening cock. He wanted to hate her but more than that, he wanted to fuck her until she was too exhausted to make one of her sarcastic little comments. Breathing roughly, he stroked himself, his eyes closing.

Her face was the first he saw, but there was no anger. She was lying back in his bed, her perfect lips parted as she moaned his name, her hands teasing her nipples.

_Fuck, Kylo…you feel so good…_

His grip tightened, his pace increasing as he pumped himself, his head tipping back against the cushions, groaning in pleasure.

_Please…please cum for me, baby…I want it…_

His thumb teased his head, cum leaking from the swollen slit. It wasn’t real, a beautiful daydream but damn if it wasn’t the hottest thing he’d ever seen. Her legs would wrap around his waist as he worked her raw, her sweet voice in his ear begging for his cum.

Groaning long and low, he found his release, his spend spilling over his hand and shirt. Panting for breath, he opened his heavy eyes.

His body relaxed for the first time in hours.


	7. Tap Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that, it's PD3 with a surprise update because she can't hold her water when she gets excited about writing. There will be a regularly scheduled update for this story also on Friday with Diamond Dogs being updated as normal on Wednesday!
> 
> PD3 x

[](https://imgur.com/cELmGgA)

She’d been tossing and turning in her bed for so long that her sheets were nothing more than a crumpled mess pooled around her legs.

Rey had come back to her apartment in a foul mood. Once the initial flare of anger had subsided the only thing that was left was an unpleasant mixture of guilt and regret. He had a way of getting under her skin, making her blood boil. Her conversation with Rose hadn’t helped, suggesting that her irritation was from more than an intense dislike.

How could she feel so strongly for a man she barely knew? He was magnetic and as much as she was trying to ignore it, Rey felt stuck in his pull. Not that it mattered now, not after the way she had treated him.

She groaned, rolling over to check her phone. 3am. Her alarm was set for 6am. Throwing the phone back down, she rolled back into her pillow, smashing her face into the soft down in frustration.

There was no doubt about it this time. She had been the one who lashed out at him without real provocation. She accused him of all manner of unsavory things, based completely on what she had been told by other people. This was why she hated the gossip of the wrestling business, it was why she avoided the dirt sheets and leak sites as much as possible. It didn’t matter who you were, these whispers formed unspoken, unwarranted opinions in your mind.

Then there was Poe and Paige. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes and heard everything, Rey wouldn’t have believed it. Poe was many things, but she had always considered him a good guy. It seemed so uncharacteristic of him to cheat. Did Finn know? Was that why he felt uncomfortable starting a real relationship with Rose.

Questions. Too many questions spun around her head. Sighing in defeat, she pulled herself out of bed to wander to the kitchen portion of her studio apartment. Things were certainly easier when she was out of the loop and now going to work was like wading through quicksand.

Absently, she filled the kettle, reaching for a mug and teabag. If she was going to be awake, a hot beverage was definitely required.

No. None of this was her. Whatever was going on between Paige and Poe wasn’t her business, friends or otherwise. Starkiller was approaching fast and she couldn’t afford to have backstage drama interfere with something she’d dreamed about her whole life.

In the dull light of her apartment, the teaspoon clinked against the side of the china cup, stirring in the milk to her tea. There was nothing else for it. She had to swallow her pride, take Kylo aside and admit her faults. She would apologize, make amends and they could carry on being completely professional.

_Oh yeah…cause we’ve been so professional so far…_

00000

By the time Rey made it to the performance centre, the building was already buzzing with life. It was the final day before UCW set out on the road for another set of TV tapings and everyone was trying to get in some last-minute practice or match plans before the trip.

Clutching her black americano, she smiled and nodded in greeting to her co-workers. Snap was already in the ring with Finn, working on a few moves. He was to join the Resistance at the next show, evening up the male numbers for the big match at Starkiller. Poe was standing at ringside, offering comments and suggestions.

Pushing her way into the women’s locker room, Rey was met with Phasma, already changed and ready to work.

“Good morning poppet!” she said cheerily, “I trust you’re all ready for this week's fun?” Rey snorted.

“Oh yeah. Totally ready,” she replied dryly, setting her cup down and pulling her things from her bag. Phasma sat herself down on the bench in front of her cubby, a frown on her face.

“Now now, what’s that tone for?” she asked, “We’re starting to get into the nitty-gritty of this storyline! I’d have assumed you’d be raring to go?”

“I am!” Rey insisted, “It’s not that…at all. Just some other…things,” Phasma smiled with faux innocence.

“Would this have anything to do with that little argument you had with our dear Kylo?” Rey groaned loudly, pulling her sports bra on over her head.

“You _know_ about that?” she cried. Phasma nodded.

“Some advice? If you’re going to have a talk…this place isn’t the best for it. The halls have _quite_ the echo, dear,” She quipped, “So…go on, what did he do?” Rey sighed, pulling on her shirt.

“He…well here’s the thing, _he_ didn’t actually do anything,” she explained, “After our talk…and then I heard some other things, I jumped to the wrong conclusion and he caught me at the wrong moment and I just…jumped down his throat about it!”

“You heard other things?” Phasma asked, leaning forward with interest, “Like what?” Rey shook her head.

“I’m not really at liberty to say. It’s not for me to tell,” she said firmly. She’d already made a mess with Kylo, she wasn’t about to make it worse by spreading the story further, “The point is…I was wrong, and I need to see him so I can make it right,”

Phasma leaned back, a scowl of disappointment crossing her features. Clearly, the woman enjoyed a story but Rey wasn’t going to be the one to give it to her.

“Well, you won’t see him today. He’s not here,” Phasma said, “He’s away doing an appearance at some comic book…thingy. You probably won’t see him until we’re on the road,”

The reply on Rey’s tongue died as Rose and Jessika walked into the room, the latter sporting a worried expression.

“Hey Rose, Jess,” Rey greeted, “What’s happening?”

Rose made her way to her own cubby, beginning the process of changing while Jessika sat down with a heavy sigh.

“Hey…Rey? You’re friends with Poe too right? You’ve known him for years,” Jessika said carefully. Rey nodded, pulling on her boots.

“Yeah, we’ve been close a while. Why?” Jessika shrugged helplessly.

“Is he…does Poe seem like the type who would…be unfaithful?” Rey froze, schooling her face to remain as passive as possible.

_Don’t get involved. DON’T GET INVOLVED._

But she was involved. Even if Poe and Paige didn’t know that she was aware of their affair, Rey _did_ know and either she told the girl the truth, creating a drama she simply wasn’t prepared to be in the middle of, or she lied to Jessika’s face, potentially making it worse if the poor girl ever found out the truth.

_Rats. Rats. Rats._

“No,” she answered, “He doesn’t seem like the type at all. What…what makes you say that?”

Slowly, the other girl began to change, biting her lip in thought.

“Well…it’s just this feeling I have,” she said, “He’s been kinda withdrawn for a while now, he’s always so defensive if I ask him where he’s been. I thought maybe he was going to break up with me but…I don’t know, maybe I’m just being crazy,”

“I’m sure it’s nothing!” Rose added, relieving Rey of having to respond further, “Starkiller is a big deal and he’s under a lot of pressure! I bet once it’s all over he’ll go back to normal. He’s down here training all the time,”

Jessika smiled and nodded in agreement. It wasn’t a lie, Poe was training all the time, just probably not as often as Jessika thought.

“You guys are right. I’m just being paranoid,” she said, starting to lace up her own boots.

Rey breathed a sigh of relief that she didn’t have to face further questions, listening to Rose and Jessika discuss the upcoming week. Finishing the last knot at the top of her boot, Rey glanced up and there was no mistaking the smirk Phasma was giving her.

00000

The day was dragging longer than Rey had ever planned.

Training in the morning with Chewie had been tough. The man was pulling no punches with them now that they were on the home stretch to the biggest show of the year. It was appreciated, mainly. Everyone wanted to be at their best, working until the sweat was rolling from their skin. By the time they were breaking for lunch, Rey could already feel her muscles tightening.

She felt a strange disappointment knowing that Phasma was indeed right. Kylo wasn’t there at all. Another worker had confirmed he was with Hux and Mitaka doing a signing at a comic book store and he wouldn’t be back until later.

It wasn’t that she was particularly excited to have the talk that they badly needed, but for the first time since they had met, something inside her hated the idea that Kylo thought badly of her. Why wouldn’t he? After that display, she thought badly of herself, so she could only imagine what he was thinking.

Rey walked behind her friends quietly as they headed down the street to the local deli, insisting that it was a good idea to get out of the center for a while and take a real break. She didn’t fault their logic but watching Poe hold hands with Jessika as if everything was normal made Rey feel slightly queasy. She’d already essentially lied to the girl that morning and watching Poe play the doting boyfriend just made her downright pissed off.

“So, where’s Paige?” Finn asked as they walked inside the deli, “Wasn’t she coming with?” Rey feigned interest in the menu above the counter, sneaking a glance at Poe, frowning when his face barely changed.

“She said she had some stuff she wanted to work on,” Rose said nonchalantly, “She’s gonna catch up with us all later,”

“I feel like I hardly see her anymore,” Jessika said sadly, “She works so hard though, don’t you think so babe?” she asked Poe. He nodded, keeping his eyes on the board above.

“Oh, yeah…no doubt,” he muttered before ordering his food.

Rey was keeping out of it. Of course, Paige wasn’t going to want to hang out with Poe and his girlfriend, even in a group. A fresh surge of anger spiked in Rey’s veins. It wasn’t just a relationship that was being destroyed but potentially so many friendships too. When the truth came out, was Jessika really going to want to even _work_ with Paige and Poe, let alone hang out? Then what would happen to the group?

Accepting her turkey salad on rye with a lifeless thank you, Rey turned and sat down next to Finn who had already grabbed them a table.

“What’s wrong peanut? It’s not like you to look so down,” he said with concern, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze. Rey smiled at her friend sincerely. As much as things changed, at least her friendship with Finn was still the same. She shrugged, tapping on the top of her diet coke can three times before pulling the ring.

“It’s…nothing,” she mumbled, “Just a lot going on that’s all. I have a lot on my mind,”

“Like your fight with Kylo?”

“Oh my God…does everyone know?!” she moaned, dropping her forehead to the table with a dull thump. Finn chuckled, taking a large bite of his roast beef sub.

“Afraid so,” he said, his mouth full, “Do you wanna talk about it?” Rey shrugged.

“Not really,” she sighed, “I just really fucked up, you know? I need to make things right somehow…I need to tell him I’m sorry,”

“You need to tell him that you looove him,” Finn teased in a sing-song manner, elongating the word that made Rey almost choke on her sandwich.

“I…Finn!” she hissed, “It’s not like that okay? I just…I said the wrong thing and now I need to say sorry. It would be the same if it was…I don’t know, Hux or Mitaka or…or…Snap!”

“Uhuh,” Finn deadpanned, sucking the mustard from his fingers, “Well you let me know how that stay in the denial hotel is once you check out, I’m sure it’s lovely there…but you’re gonna have to leave it sometime,”

Rey narrowed her eyes at her friend, grumbling at him as he laughed at her discomfort. Lost for any kind of comeback, she simply took a large bite from her turkey sandwich.

_Aggressive chewing. That’ll show him how wrong he is…_

00000

The rest of the day had been a whirl of promo tapings, logistic meetings where they had been given their travel information for the week and, finally, her training session with Luke.

While they were still watching tapes, they had moved on to watching some of Rey’s own work. The feedback he was offering was good and constructive, something she could put into practice now she could see for herself what she was doing incorrectly.

She was conflicted. Finally, she was getting something she could use from these sessions but now, after her confrontation with Kylo, the whole thing felt tainted. To her chagrin, Kylo had turned out to be right about his Uncle’s teaching methods.

Wandering through from the women’s locker room, Rey left her bag at the side of the ring, rolling inside. Luke walked past, his coat on and the keys to the centre in his hand.

“Everyone has gone home Rey, are you sure you want to stay?” he asked. Rey nodded.

“I won’t be long. I just wanted to get some stretching done before I left. Muscles took a beating today,” she said with a small smile.

“Alright, well, I’ll leave the keys for you,” he said, “Leave them in the lockbox when you’re done,”

She waved Luke goodbye, telling him that she would see him on the road. Empty. The place was blissfully empty and finally, she was alone, just her and the wrestling ring. Sighing in contentment, she began to roll her neck, stretching out her muscles, feeling the individual notches in her back pop with satisfaction.

“Hmm. Really should book in with the sports therapist,” she muttered to herself, coming to stand near one of the corners.

Working on the diagonal angle, Rey began to roll. Forward rolls, backward rolls, she moved effortlessly across the mat, the movement freeing her body after so long sitting still. Engrossed in her activities, she didn’t notice that someone was walking next to the ring and as she rolled to her feet, she saw him, screaming in surprise and falling back to land on her behind.

“Graceful,” Kylo drawled sarcastically. Rey clutched her chest, breathing hard from the sudden fright.

“I…I thought I was the only one here,” she said quietly. Kylo shrugged.

“You soon will be. I only came back to pick up some paperwork then I’m gone,” he said shortly, Rey almost wincing at his tone, “I’ll get out of your way,”

“Kylo, wait!” she called as he walked away. He stopped, turning where he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, “Look…I just…I wanted to say that I’m sorry,”

“Oh?” he replied, a single eyebrow raised, “For what?” She sat on her knees, taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry that I shouted at you and that I accused you of all those things,” she said honestly, “You…you’re right, I don’t know the whole story and I was making assumptions based on what other people had told me,”

“Yeah you were,” Kylo said plainly, but his face softened watching her grimace, “But…thank you, I appreciate that,”

“It’s just…that’s not me,” Rey explained, “I don’t _do_ that…normally. I hate locker room gossip, I try to stay out of it,” She felt her chest flutter, watching his mouth lift in a small, sideways smile, his arms uncrossing as his body relaxed. Slowly, he wandered closer to the ring, leaning forward on the apron.

“You know, I’m exactly the same,” he agreed, “It’s the worst part of wrestling!” Rey smiled widely, shuffling closer to the ropes where he stood.

“I know right?!” She exclaimed, “And it’s so weird because you say you don’t want any part in it…but it doesn’t matter because eventually, you get sucked in anyway. Like, I accidentally found out about an affair that’s going on around here…” Kylo’s eyes widened with interest.

“Holy shit…who? Who’s cheating on who?” he asked.

“Well, it’s…oh for fuck sake…”

“What?”

“We’re doing it! We’re gossiping!” she laughed, “Both of us just agreed that it’s terrible and just as quickly, I was about to continue the chain!”

Kylo suddenly laughed, the sound so foreign it caught her completely off guard. It was a deep sound, reverberating from his diaphragm, paired with the most beautiful smile she had ever seen on a man before. It wasn’t the self-assured smirk or the smug half smile she was used to. His smile was wide, forming dimples at the side of his cheeks, revealing white but just slightly less than perfect teeth that only added to his charisma. It lit up his face, his eyes, with a warmth she had never seen from him and it was leaving her slightly breathless.

“What?” he asked suddenly, noticing she was staring at him.

“Nothing…it’s just…I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that before,” she said, “I’ve certainly never heard you laugh,”

“I am capable of it, you know,” he teased. Rey blushed, her cheeks turning a shade of pink that made his chest constrict, “Listen…I was just about to head home but if you need any help, or need someone to spot you…I know you’re training with Luke, I don’t want to get in the way…”

“It’s alright,” Rey sighed, “I actually think that…and, God, it kills me to say this…you might be right,” Kylo smirked.

_Oh, there it is…_

“What was that?”

“I said, you might be right about Luke,” Rey admitted, “It’s not…I don’t really feel like I’m getting much out of it,” The bright smile on his face returned, triumphant and vindicated.

“I feel like it’s my birthday! _Two_ admissions of being in the wrong from Rey Jackson?!” He grinned, “This might be the best day ever…”

“Alright, alright! You don’t need to rub it in…I actually came out here to do _something_ after sitting for so long,” she said, “Actually, someone to do some work with would be really helpful,”

He nodded, jumping up onto the apron and wiping his feet before climbing into the ring and Rey suddenly realized what she had asked. Standing talking to him was one thing but she had never wrestled with him in any capacity, her body betraying her at the thought.

“What are you looking to do? Just some chain? Lock up and take it from there?” He asked. Rey’s answer died on her lips when he pulled his black tee shirt off, leaving him in nothing but his basketball shorts and wrestling boots.

_Jesus take the wheel…_

“Um…ye…yes,” she squeaked, awkwardly clearing her throat, “Just some catch wrestling would be great,”

They circled in the ring, clashing in the center as they locked up, Rey having to take to the tips of her toes to accommodate for his height. Standing near him had been one thing, but actually wrestling him, Rey was suddenly very aware of just how imposing his body was.

_Concentrate…_

Locked together, a hand each behind the other’s neck, they moved around the ring, working with one another until Kylo took the lead to pull her into a headlock, her face pressed against the bare skin on his chest. The immense heat of his body was making her dizzy, fighting to remember the most basic of her training.

_Arms around his waist. Lean into the headlock._

No sooner had she locked her arms in the right position, Kylo dropped to one knee, bringing her over his hip to land flat on her back with a thud, her head still firmly locked in his arms.

“Come on,” he panted, “I know you can do better than that!”

So, it was like that. Her head still trapped, Rey kicked up with her long leg, wrapping it around his face, pulling him abruptly down to scissor his head between her legs, locking it in at the ankles. Obviously, she didn’t want to literally choke him, it was still all worked but she couldn’t deny the thrill of having him panting for breath on his back and she tightened her grip slightly.

_Easy now…easy._

Kylo tried to kick out of the hold, but she held him fast, not wanting to give it away so easily. No, if he was going to escape, he was going to work for it. Grabbing her legs, Kylo rolled unexpectedly, flipping her to her back and pulling her knees apart using his strength, releasing his head. She stared up at him with a fiery determination in her eyes, as he gazed back from his place kneeling between her legs.

“You trying to shoot on me Jackson?” he growled, his low, rough voice sending a message straight to the apex of her thighs.

“Would I do that to you?” she asked innocently, her legs grabbing him around the waist tightly, once again locking in the leg scissors by crossing her ankles. He was thick, her thighs straining with the effort as she squeezed tightly to drive the air from his body.

Grunting, he fell forward, his huge torso covering hers. Reaching, he grabbed her wrists as her hands made a play to bar his arm, pinning her limbs to the mat above her head.

Inches from one another, his face hovered above her as she gasped with the effort of keeping her legs locked around his strong body.

“You’ve got the flexibility, but I’ve got the reach,” he growled, “Tap out,”

He winced, groaning slightly as she tightened her legs once more. His dark eyes held hers as he flattened his body weight on top of her.

“Tap. Out,” he demanded again, his breath warm and sweet on her face. Her chest heaved with the effort of trying to draw breath from under him, the sweat on his skin hot and slick against her bare stomach.

“Make me,”

He was lost to her. The last of his control crumbled under her defiant stare, closing what little distance there was between him as his lips crashed into hers. The pressure around his waist loosened but her legs remained around his body, her mouth parting for his insistent tongue.

Moaning against his lips, her tongue battling for dominance as she ground against him, a growl rumbling in his chest, his body still pinning her to the mat. There was nothing tender about the act. It was primal and cathartic. A sweet release that they both craved.

Using what little strength she had left, Rey rolled, using her legs to roll him to his back, straddling his waist as they both breathed heavily, eyes ablaze with adrenaline and lust.

Leaning over, she kissed him again, as fierce as their first, her teeth nipping at his full bottom lip to draw a groan from him. She clenched around nothing, desperate for some kind of relief, grinding against his hips and moaning into his mouth when she felt his solid cock pressing into her through the fabric of his shorts.

He was like fire. Beautiful and deadly. Something that was going to burn her if she wasn’t careful and suddenly she pulled away, gasping for much-needed air, the haze in her mind lifting. What the hell were they doing? They were in a wrestling ring, in their place of work. Every sordid rumor she’d ever heard flooded her mind and she jumped from him like she’d been scalded.

“I…fuck, I’m sorry,” she breathed. Kylo sat up, his lips flushed from their kiss and his erection very visible in his pants.

“Rey…wait…” Rey rolled from the ring, grabbing her abandoned bag with shaky hands.

“I…I have to go,”

“Rey!”

Ignoring his calls, Rey ran from the room, the door slamming behind her as she left. Kylo fell back against the ring, his hands over his face as he released a frustrated sigh.

“Fuck,”


	8. Pow! Right in the Kisser...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am crazy busy on Friday so you lucky pups are getting the Friday update a little early.
> 
> For those of you asking, Yes, the gossip IS this terrible in the real wrestling world. It's awful...but it's making for a great story!
> 
> Gird your loins and get your gear on kiddies!

[](https://imgur.com/xH7i96v)

“Rose, Paige!” Rey shouted while hammering on the door of the sister’s apartment, “I need to talk to you guys, it’s an emergency!”

Rose appeared at the front door, throwing it open in a panic as Rey stomped past her into the apartment.

“Jesus, what’s happened?!” Rose cried, “You’re shaking!”

“I did something really stupid…really, really stupid!” Rey stressed, pacing the living room in front of Paige as she sat on the sofa, joined by Rose, the two girls watching their friend walk back and forth.

“Did you forget to lock the performance center?” Paige asked. Rey paused, blinking dumbly at the girl before groaning and commencing her movements.

“Okay, _two_ stupid things…I’ve done _two_ stupid things…”

“Calm down,” Rose soothed, “Tell us what happened!” Rey took a deep breath, rubbing her face with her hands.

“I kissed Kylo…”

“You _what_?!” The girls cried simultaneously, a huge grin spreading on Rose’s face. Rey was about to speak again when Rose held up a hand to stop her.

“Wait!” she said firmly, “Just…wait two seconds!” Jumping from the sofa, Rose dashed to the kitchen. Rey frowned, the sound of glasses clinking reaching her and Rose reappeared with 3 wine glasses and a bottle in her hand. Swiftly, she laid out the glasses, pouring and handing one to each of the other women.

“Okay... _now_ go!”

Rey sighed, taking a large gulp of her wine.

“So, I kissed Kylo…”

“Wait, did you kiss him first or did he kiss you?” Paige questioned, leaning forward to listen intently like a detective. Rey paused.

“He kissed me I guess,” she replied. Rose and Paige shared a conspiratorial look, smirking at one another.

“I knew it! I knew he liked you!” Rose declared, “How did it happen?!”

“I was training after Luke’s lesson and he turned up…he offered to help me work out…”

“I’ll _bet_ he did…”

“So we were doing some groundwork and next thing I know, he was on top of me and...he kissed me,” Rey finished, ignoring Paige’s comment.

“And you kissed him back?” Rose pressed. Rey flushed, taking another gulp of her wine. She did more than just kiss him back, the memory of her grinding against him on the mat sending heat across her skin. She settled for a demure nod to her friend’s question.

“So…then what happened?!” Paige asked excitedly.

“Then…I kinda…ran away…”

“You ran away?” Paige repeated flatly, “Why the hell would you do that?!” Rey groaned loudly, burying her face in her palm.

“I…I got scared okay?! Because I think I really _do_ like him…but I don’t want to be the subject of locker room gossip! I don’t want people to think I’m only after him because he’s ‘Kylo Ren: Heavyweight Champion’. We have to work together…there’s just so much that can go wrong here…”

“Okay, well…at least you’re finally admitting that you like him. This is good, this is progress!” Rose reasoned, “Rey, sweetie, don’t you think you’re being overly dramatic? If you just start dating like two regular people, nobody is going to think badly of that…” Rey shrugged helplessly.

“I just don’t want anyone to have the chance to say that I was handed anything,” she sighed, “I worked hard to get here and I’m going to keep working hard for my opportunities!”

“That’s right, you are!” Paige agreed, “But you can’t help who you fall for…” she finished, her voice somewhat quieter. The wistful expression on her face did not go unnoticed by Rey.

“Back on track…you ran away and just left him in the ring?” Rose asked. Rey nodded, draining her glass and holding it out for Paige to refill.

“Yup, I did,” Rey confirmed, taking another large swig of her drink and delighting in the feeling of light-headedness that was following, “With a huge erection…”

“Oh. My. GOD!” Rose squealed, “...what was _that_ like?!” Rey blushed once more but a wicked smile still spread across her lips.

“Proportional to the rest of his body from what I could tell,” she grinned, Paige and Rose falling into hysterical cackles.

“But…are we talking length or girth? Cause if it doesn’t touch the sides…” Rose smirked, and Rey collapsed back on a nearby chair giggling.

“I didn’t get a proper look, but from the feel of it, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed!”

“Oh, so you’re planning on seeing it up close then?” Paige smiled, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Rey rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t say that…but…I mean…yeah, probably,” she said defeated.

“Probably?!” Rose cried, “Girl…don’t sound so excited….”

“You know what I mean!” Rey replied, “I just…I’m going to have to talk to him and explain myself. Again. Christ, I’m making such a fucking mess of this,” Paige smiled.

“It’s because you actually _like_ this one!” She said, “And it’s obvious he likes you too…otherwise he wouldn’t have kissed you in the first place,”

“I’ll try to catch him tomorrow before we get on the plane…”

“You won’t see him until we get to the arena,” Rose said, “He’s got a different travel schedule. Appearance or something to do first,”

“So the first time I’m going to see him is…”

“When we start taping for TV,”

“Oh GOD!” Rey moaned, tipping her head back and chugging her wine in one breath, falling forward again, she held out her glass to Paige who drained the remainder of the bottle into Rey’s glass.

“Yeah…we’re going to need another bottle, I think,”

00000

This was why she never drank the night before a flight.

Rey had felt horrible the whole morning, hauling herself along with Finn, Poe, Rose, and Paige to JFK Airport for their early flight. She was thankful the flight to Minneapolis wasn’t a long one, but feeling slightly queasy with a sore head, it was uncomfortable all the same.

At least she wasn’t alone. Between the three of them they had drunk the equivalent of a bottle of wine each on an empty stomach and both Rose and Paige were equally worse for wear. Finn and Poe had delighted in their condition, taking every opportunity to mock them the entire time.

Thankfully, by the time their car pulled up the venue, Rey was beginning to feel like herself. Her stomach was still in knots, the hangover having been replaced by anxiety at seeing Kylo again.

They say that alcohol was the teller of truths and after her third glass, every truth Rey had about the man had come pouring out. He frustrated her like nobody else could, his arrogant swagger and indifferent facial expressions made her want to tear his head off, but under it all, there was something else. She could see it when he smiled, really smiled.

She liked him and every day, she was liking him more and more. She was standing teetering on the edge of it all and she hoped that if she was honest with him, he would be there to catch her.

Having changed into her gear, her hair and makeup done, Rey joined Finn and Poe to meet the rest of the wrestlers in their segment. Hux and Mitaka were there but Kylo was conspicuous by his absence.

“Kylo’s running late, his flight was delayed,” Mitaka explained, “He’ll be here on time, we’ve just to message him with his part,”

Rey tried to hide her disappointment. Both her and Kylo were only accompanying their respective factions to the ring, they didn’t have a full match to go through, and Kylo was experienced enough to know what he was doing, but now she would have to work with him in front of a live crowd without having cleared the air first.

_Great. Nothing like professionalism…_

She listened intently while the planned the match, trying to pick up any kind of advice or lesson she could. If there was one useful thing that Luke had told her, it was that anything in wrestling was an opportunity to learn, even just listening to how more experienced wrestlers worked.

Standing by the curtain, Rey began to stretch out her tired muscles, rolling her head and shoulders while she watched the match already in progress on the monitors. As the referee counted the pin, the stagehand called them forward. It was only then she noticed Kylo was there behind them, ready in his ring gear and a First Order merchandise tee shirt with his championship belt slung over his shoulder.

“Kylo, I need to talk to you…”

“Later,” he said tersely, still staring ahead at the monitor. Rey nodded shakily. He was right, 30 seconds before the music was due to hit was _not_ the time for the conversation they needed to have.

_The following contest is a tag team match and is set for one fall. Making their way to the ring, accompanied by Rey J Kenobi, weighing in at a combined weight of 375 pounds, Poe Dameron and Finn Storm: The Resistance!_

There was no time left to dwell on Rey Jackson’s love life, not when the music hit, and she had to be Rey J Kenobi. Smiling widely, she followed Poe and Finn out of the entrance way and down the ramp to the thunderous applause of the Minneapolis crowd.

_And their opponents, making their way to the ring, being accompanied by the UCW Heavyweight Champion, Kylo Ren, weighing in at a combined weight of 369 pounds, they are the UCW Tag Team Champions, Arm Hux and Dopheld Mitaka: The First Order!_

Rey watched, trying her best to stay in character as he walked down the ramp. It may have been Mitaka and Hux’s match but as the champion, Kylo was still front and center. Not that anyone could have missed him. With his height and the way he carried himself, he was unmistakable. Rey could feel her heart thudding in her chest, her stomach fluttering.

_Oh my God. SO not the time body._

As the music died, the crowd still booing a storm for the First Order, Rey made her way to her team’s corner. She could see Kylo on the other side of the ring, his dark eyes watching her intently beyond any kind of character. It wasn’t helping the situation at all.

_And we’re back live from the sold-out arena here in Minneapolis with some tag team action! The First Order and the Resistance have had some epic battles over the past few months. Tension has been high between the teams, especially after Hux’s unwarranted attack on Rey J a few weeks ago._

Poe and Mitaka climbed into the ring to begin the match as the bell sounded, circling each other and colliding in the center of the ring, Poe immediately on the offensive as he knocked Mitaka to the mat with a series of clotheslines.

_Poe is fired up and is wasting no time showing the First Order he means business! Mitaka looks rattled and makes the tag to Hux._

Hux climbed into the ring, grabbing Poe to send him off the ropes but the smaller man reversed the throw, Hux rebounding from the rope, Poe’s boot meeting his chest with a perfect high standing dropkick.

Rey watched on, shouting encouragement as her character would while Kylo played his own part, pacing his team’s side of the ring with a dark glower on his face, occasionally scowling when the Resistance landed a hit. That was until Poe hit the rope closest to Kylo and, as planned, while the referee was distracted by Mitaka, Kylo grabbed Poe’s foot to send him to the mat face first allowing Hux to drop an elbow on the man’s back.

_The First Order fighting back dirty now, using the Heavyweight Champion to even the odds!_

She screamed at the referee as she was supposed to, calling for him to send Kylo to the back for cheating while the referee told her that he didn’t see it, so he couldn’t make the call. The match continued, Hux and Mitaka tagging in and out while putting heat on Poe.

He was still watching her. Rey forced herself to look away from him, to pay attention to the match, to rile up the crowd in support of Poe. Anything to avoid his intense eyes, burning into her even from the other side of the ring.

_Dameron has done it! Dameron makes the tag and here comes Finn Storm to clean house!_

Finn vaulted over the top rope, leveling Mitaka and Hux with a series of strikes that sent the men to the mat with a thud, Kylo pacing in mock frustration, now making his anger known as he shouted at his teammates to get up. Rey had to give it to him, he played the brooding, controlling heel well.

_Art imitating life maybe?_

As the match continued, Finn swung for Hux who grabbed the referee to shield himself, Finn’s fist ‘colliding’ with the referees face. The official wasn’t really knocked out, but it was enough that he could sell on the mat long enough for Kylo and Rey to play their parts.

_Hux! Hux used the referee as a shield and we’ve got an official down! What’s this? Kylo Ren is getting in the ring, the belts in his hand…no, he’s not going to do this?!_

Kylo slid into the ring, his championship in his hands primed to hit Finn in the face while Poe was being dealt with on the outside of the ring.

_What’s this? Rey Kenobi is in the ring! Rey J Kenobi is in the ring to save her friend!_

Sliding into the ring, Rey dashed to stand between Kylo and Finn, her chin tilted up to him in defiance and her fists clenched at her side. As planned, Kylo paused, his belt still in the air ready to swing.

_Surely Ren wouldn’t hit a woman! Don’t do it Kylo, don’t do it you monster!_

He growled down at her and Rey could no longer tell if he was acting. Lowering the belt, he took a step towards her. Rey was taller than many women but Kylo still towered above her, his body large and imposing. Rey Jackson was shaking inside, but Rey J Kenobi still stood tall, her jaw clenched.

The audience screamed, the din all mingling into one thunderous noise and she couldn’t make out if they were cheering, chanting or booing but whatever was happening, they wanted more.

_You can feel the tension in the ring! Kylo Ren has no idea what to do and Rey will not move!_

Her whole body was trembling with anticipation, the adrenaline fogging her mind. Poe was supposed to be back in the ring, he was to attack Kylo from behind and ‘save’ her from whatever the large man had planned, but Poe was nowhere to be found. He had missed his cue and Rey knew she had to do _something_ , anything that stopped them both from standing there staring at each other like idiots.

_Oh my God! Rey J Kenobi just slapped the taste out of Kylo Ren’s mouth! I think there’s one of his teeth in the back row!_

Just when she thought the crowd couldn’t get any louder. The racket the people made was deafening, her hand stinging from the force of her hit and Kylo was sporting a scarlet cheek and an incredulous expression as he sold his face. Not that there was much selling to be done, Rey was certain his face had to be burning.

Mercifully, Poe scrambled into the ring, hitting Kylo from behind and sending him out through the ropes to the floor. Rey jumped from the ring, Poe hitting Hux with his finish while Finn made the pin, the referee coming to life at the correct time to count the one, two, three.

_Poe Dameron lands the X-Wing Arrow! The Resistance steals another one out from under the First Order and Kylo Ren doesn’t look happy at all!_

Celebrating in the ring, raising her team's hands in victory, Rey couldn’t help the way her stomach knotted, watching Kylo walk up the ramp, still cradling his face.

00000

_I kissed him. I ran away without an explanation. Oh, then I slapped him._

She had a good reason, Rey kept telling herself. Standing there doing nothing made them both look stupid. There was only so long you could get away with an intense stare before the audience began to realize that something was amiss so really, this was all Poe’s fault for missing his cue.

Yeah. That was it.

She had been standing outside his locker room door for the past 5 minutes, anxiously going over and over in her head what she wanted to say to him. Where to start? I’m sorry for grinding all over you then running away? I’m sorry for not contacting you sooner? I’m sorry for slapping the skin from your face?

The last apology she had to make now felt so much simpler by comparison.

_Rip the band-aid off. Just rip it off!_

She knocked on the door of his dressing room, hearing his deep voice telling her to come in. Cautiously she entered, closing the door behind her.

“Hi,” she said quietly. Kylo turned from where he was standing wearing only his trunks and boots, a towel around his neck. Rey had gone straight to his locker room from the ring and he hadn’t had time to change. At the sight of his broad, bare chest, slightly damp with sweat, her mouth suddenly felt dry.

“Oh, hi,” he replied awkwardly. Her eyes narrowed in on his still pink cheek, her hands flying over her mouth.

“Oh my God, your face. Kylo I am _so_ sorry,” to both her confusion and relief, he smiled gently.

“Don’t be, it’s not the first time I’ve been slapped in the ring…it probably won’t be the last,” he said, “Dameron should have hit his cue sooner,”

_I KNEW it!_

“You did the right thing. You showed good instincts,” he continued, “So you don’t have anything to be sorry for. Maybe next time a _little_ lighter wouldn’t hurt,” Despite her nerves, Rey found it in herself to snort a laugh and return his smile. Feeling braver than when she first entered, Rey took a few steps further into the room.

“Listen, about the other day…”

“I’m sorry about that,” he said quickly, “I shouldn’t have kissed you the way I did…” Rey paused, her face falling.

“No…I…you don’t have to be sorry, I didn’t stop you,” she said, “Because…I like you,”

“You like me?” he repeated, his face startled as his dark eyes widened. Rey smiled shyly.

“Yeah…I actually do, I like you…a lot,”

“Then why did you run?” Rey groaned, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck.

“because do you have any idea what it’s like to be a woman in the wrestling industry? Everything we do is under a microscope! What we wear in the ring, how we look, who we hang out with…who we have relationships with!” she said in earnest, “because I’m…me and you’re, well… _you_!”

Kylo frowned thoughtfully. He supposed he’d never thought about it before. He had never really had a reason to think about it. Obviously, he was aware of it, he’d been around enough locker rooms to hear the rumors about some of the girls on the circuit. Who they’d slept with, who they were dating, who was cheating on who. On more than one occasion, he’d heard of girls who had been blacklisted from companies, all because of who they had gotten involved with.

There was nothing fair about the wrestling business.

“Yeah, I am me…and there isn’t a hell of a lot I can do to fix that,” he replied, “but…I like you, I can’t stop myself wanting to be around you and I’ve tried…”

“You tried?”

“Only because you didn’t seem to want to be around me!” he explained defensively. She was so close to him, standing there staring up at him with those bright hazel eyes that seemed to study his face.

“Well that’s what happens when you act like an arsehole!” she snapped, a frown on her face. He smirked, bending down to her.

“Maybe I wouldn’t be such an asshole if you didn’t push my fucking buttons all the time!” he challenged, “Ever thought of that?!”

“It’s not my fault you’re so…so…irritable!”

“Oh, sometimes it is Jackson…really, sometimes it is!”

“Will you just shut the fuck up and kiss me?”

Colliding with such force, their teeth almost clashing together, his lips violently took hers, his tongue aggressively fighting against her as she grabbed him, her hands fisting in his sweat-damp hair. It was heaven, the cathartic release she had been craving since she ran from him, his mouth hot against hers but it wasn’t enough. She needed more. She needed to be as close to him as possible.

Her body flush against his, she hopped, her legs wrapping around his waist like a vice as he groaned, her mouth swallowing the sound. His large hands cupped her ass, fingers digging into her flesh, holding her weight effortlessly, his teeth tugging on her bottom lip as she pulled at his hair, the stinging sensation sending tingles down his spine.

Their first kiss had been gentle and sweet in comparison the vicious release of tension they were experiencing, Rey grunted as he turned, slamming her body against the lockers, his mouth traveling along her jaw, biting and sucking as he went. Her head tipped back against the metal with a thud, his teeth scraping along her pulse.

Pulling his hair back to look at his face, both panting for breath, teeth bared like wild animals as they snarled, Rey held his eyes. Practically black with lust, his pupils blown wide, she felt a shiver run up her spine, heat pooling in her gut.

“Hotel?”


	9. No Holds Barred

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm super busy tomorrow and I have no idea when I'll be able to update SO you're getting the Friday update... on a Thursday.
> 
> Please enjoy this helping of smut. If you're not comfortable with smut then...well, I'm not sure why you're reading my work in all honesty ;) xx

[](https://imgur.com/HanMVN1)

Useless.

Rey’s legs were useless. Pulling herself away from Kylo was the hardest thing she could ever remember doing, his body holding her in a magnetic pull but suddenly very aware that they were still in his locker room, their co-workers all milling around outside, the chances of getting caught were unspeakably high.

Not that they were doing anything wrong, per say, but they hadn’t even discussed what was happening between them and the idea that they’d have to explain it to others wasn’t a bridge either of them was ready to cross.

“Hotel?” she had asked him breathlessly, her lips still flushed from their ferocious kiss. He had agreed all too quickly with a trembling nod, reluctantly setting her back on her feet and kissing her once more.

It had been a stark contrast to the previous kiss. Softer, more deliberate and she could have sworn his touch had liquified her bones. Grudgingly, she left his locker room with all the grace of a baby deer learning to walk, her underwear soaked and her heart smashing against her ribs.

Carefully, she checked the hallway for a sign of anyone who might catch her leaving and she wandered towards her own changing area, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious that she had just been mauled by a 6’3” unit of a human being.

“Hey! Where did you go?” Rose asked as she entered the room, “We thought you’d come straight back here. Great segment! Holy shit, the crowd lost their freaking minds!”

Rey smiled at her friend, her head still swimming, and Rose frowned at her in concern.

“Are you okay? You look a little flushed,” she commented. Paige grinned.

“Yeah, you’re almost the same color as Kylo’s cheek!” the older Tico giggled, “I can’t believe you slapped him!” Rey snorted, making her way over to her own things.

“That’s actually where I was,” she said, “I was apologizing to him for taking his skin off,” Rose and Paige smiled widely at each other.

“And?” Rose pressed, “That couldn’t have been all you said to him…did you talk about the other night?” Rey inhaled sharply, pulling off the top of her gear.

“Umm yeah,” she muttered, “It’s…it’s all good now,”

“AND?”

“And what?”

“Is that _really_ all that happened?!” Paige exclaimed, “There’s gotta be more to it than that!”

Rey didn’t have time for this. There was a very good-looking man waiting for her to change and meet back at his hotel room. Her body was still practically burning for him and she stripped the remainder of her gear as quickly as she could.

“All that happened was that I apologized for slapping him and for the misunderstanding the other night,” Rey replied tersely, “We’re all good,”

“All good…” Rose repeated flatly, “Well that’s just fucking boring. I was expecting some kind of…I don’t know, epic declaration of love and devotion or something,”

“It’s wrestling…nobody is that dramatic…” Rey quipped.

“It’s wrestling… _everyone_ is that dramatic!” Rose shot back with a smug smile, “Anyway, we’re all going for dinner, are you coming?” Rey didn’t pause to reply.

“Uh, no…thank you,” she mumbled, “I’m going go and get an early night…”

“Are you kidding?! After _that_ show, you don’t want to come and celebrate?”

_Oh, I’ll be celebrating all right…_

“Honestly, I’m good,” Rey practically snapped, “I still need to, um, catch up on sleep from our session last night. I’m going to bow out,”

“You always were the sensible one!” Paige winked, “Alright, suit yourself…enjoy catching up on your beauty sleep. We’ll have a cocktail in your honor!”

Rey smiled tightly, throwing her things into her suitcase randomly, smashing the top down to hold it closed and secure the fastenings. There would be time to repack neatly later, much later. Paige and Rose shared a bemused expression, watching their friend.

For someone who was going back to the hotel to sleep, she seemed altogether far too rushed at the prospect.

Dashing from the locker room, Rey marched down the corridors towards the back entrance of the venue. This was happening, it was actually happening and the only thing that was standing between them was a short cab ride back to the hotel.

“Hey, There she is!” Poe called standing next to Finn near the exit, “How does it feel to blow up the internet?”

“What?” Rey questioned, trying her best to hold her hands steady and not let her anxiety get the better of her, “What are you talking about?”

“Twitter!” Finn cried, “The show has been trending all over the place. That slap has already become a GIF. People are going nuts that someone finally ‘put Kylo Ren in his place’,” He grinned.

“Oh…great!” Rey forced, “I’ve not had a chance to look yet…”

“Are you alright peanut? You’re looking a little flustered…” Finn asked with a concerned frown. Rey nodded, her head practically quivering with the action.

“Yes! Oh…yes, totally fine. Happy as a clam. Could not be happier,” she insisted, her head whipping around, “I just need a cab…”

“Where are you going?” Poe asked.

“Back to the hotel…I have a…call to make,” she lied, her nose wrinkling at the sound of her obvious excuse.

“Really? Who?” Finn pressed curiously. Rey frowned with annoyance.

“Leia…I need to call Leia,”

“But…Leia’s here? She got in just as the show was starting…”

“Do I really have to tell you both every aspect of my life?!” she snapped, “I just need to get back to the hotel!”

“Whoa, okay, sorry peanut!” Finn replied, holding his hands up defensively, “That works though, we’re heading back now. We can share!”

Rey wanted to scream. She wanted to grab Finn by the throat and squeeze the life out of him. In any other circumstances, her friends wanting to spend so much time with her would have been a blessing. They were her chosen family, but right then, she’d have given anything for them to not be there.

“Great!” She smiled tightly, “That’s just great…”

00000

It had taken a full 10 minutes after Rey had left his room for Kylo’s heart to return to a normal pace.

She liked him. She really did like him and not only that, she had kissed him, climbed him like a tree and as he stood frantically changing his clothes, she was preparing to make her way back to the hotel to meet with him

Glaring down at his still solid erection, Kylo grumbled under his breath, tentatively pulling his jeans on and trying not to wince as he secured the fly, the denim creating uncomfortable pressure across his torso.

This was the second time she’d left him in that state and he was willing to bet it wouldn’t be the last.

“There he is,” Hux drawled as he pushed his way into the locker room, “Still sporting that crimson cheek of yours I see. I can’t believe that stupid bitch slapped you!”

Kylo scowled, smoothing his shirt and grabbing his hooded sweater.

“What did you call her?!” he growled, turning to face the smug redhead who had sat himself down against one of the lockers.

“You heard me,” he said, “I can’t believe she slapped you. It made you look weak, it puts you in a terrible position now!”

“And how’d you figure that?” Kylo barked, “Dameron was late on the drop. If she hadn’t, either we’d both be standing there like morons or I’d have had to actually hit her…”

“Yes and imagine the heat you’d have got for it!” Hux cried, “You’d have secured your place as one of the most despised heels in the history of the company!” Kylo grunted, zipping his suitcase roughly.

“Without calling it, if she didn’t know what I was going to do, I could have hurt her!” he stressed, “Fuck, man, you’ve been doing this long enough…you should know better!” Hux smirked.

“And you should take that heart off your sleeve before anyone else notices,” he shot, “You haven’t seen the dirt sheets yet have you?”

“It’s been literally less than an hour since we went off air…” Hux shrugged.

“That doesn’t matter, and you know it!” he said, pulling out his phone, “It’s all over Twitter and Tumblr! People won’t stop talking about that slap, the feud between our groups…but most of all, a lot of our more invested female fans keep going on about what a cute couple you two would make,”

“It’s the internet Hux…ignore it,” Kylo snapped, grabbing for his suitcase, “Anyway, I don’t have time for this, I’ve got a meeting to get to,”

“A meeting? It’s almost 11 at night,” Hux pondered, “What the hell could possibly be so important?!”

“Need to know basis,” Kylo muttered, quickly pulling his phone from his pocket and typing, “See you at the next show, Hux,”

The door to the locker room slammed shut behind Kylo’s back, leaving Hux alone glaring at the last space he had occupied. Pulling up a new message, Hux began to type.

_< Hux> Oh yes. He’s completely gone for her._

00000

Her leg wouldn’t stop bouncing as she sat in the cab, wedged in the middle between Finn and Poe.

Both men were arguing about their plans, if they should eat at the hotel and get an early night or if they should catch up with Paige and Rose wherever they had ended up. Not that Rey was really listening. Her mind was too full of his lips on hers, the way his fingers had dug into her skin with just the right balance of pressure, the heat of his body. The way he had slammed her against the lockers, the sheer animalistic want of it all, made her skin itch, her blood rushing to the surface and suddenly her clothes felt too tight around her body.

_It’s okay. I won’t be needing them…_

“What do you think?”

“Huh?”

“Rey, I asked what you thought we should do?” Finn repeated. Rey blinked at him dumbly, trying to process his words. Whoever said women could multitask, clearly hadn’t been under the influence of Kylo Ren and his ridiculous body.

“Umm…I don’t know, whatever you think is fine,” she said absently, her phone buzzing in her pocket.

“That’s the problem,” Poe whined, “We can’t decide!”

Rey suppressed an eye roll, pulling out her phone and opening the message.

_< Unknown> Room 316. K x_

She smirked to herself, typing out her reply.

_< Rey> How did you get my number? I’m in the cab now. Be there asap. x_

_< Kylo> I have my ways ;) God I can’t wait to get my hands on that beautiful body x_

“So…little help here, Rey?” Finn pressed. Rey grumbled, trying her back to hide the screen of her phone.

“Eat out. You both want to drop your bags then go and meet with the girls!” she snapped.

_< Rey> Looking forward to finding out if you’re talents go further than the ring x_

_< Kylo> Baby you have no idea. x_

“But then that means we’ll be back super late,”

“We do have that free day tomorrow before we have to get our flight…”

“Where are the girls? Didn’t they say something about Mexican food?”

_< Kylo> I’ll bet that pussy of yours is as perfect as the rest of you. I can’t wait to see how you taste. I’m going to have you screaming my name and begging for my cock. x_

_< Rey> You’re a monster ;) :P x_

_< Kylo> Yes I am ;) x_

Rey grinned widely, hoping that the darkness of the cab hid the heat that crawled up her neck. How could words on a screen have such an effect? Her cunt clenched re-reading his messages as her friends bickered across her.

“Maybe we should just stay at the hotel?” Finn reasoned as the car pulled up outside the entrance to the Hilton. Rey didn’t even wait for Poe to climb out first, awkwardly clambering over him to spill out of the door.

“Do you want to join us for a drink before your call?” Finn shouted after her, Rey grabbing her suitcase from the driver and marching towards the entrance.

“No thanks!” she shouted back, “See you tomorrow!” Finn and Poe shared a smirk.

“Think she’s hooking up?”

“Oh, without a doubt,”

00000

  1. _Room 316._



She checked in, snatching the key card from the receptionist with little grace before she practically sprinted to the elevator, her suitcase bouncing along behind her. Her own room was the floor below. Dropping her things on the bed, she quickly moved to the bathroom to freshen up.

There wasn’t time for a full shower, but Rey was still very aware that she had worked a TV taping and she wasn’t going to be at her best but somehow, she knew that Kylo wasn’t going to care. A quick brush of her teeth, smoothing her unruly hair, she nodded in satisfaction. It would have to do, and she wasn’t about to waste another minute.

Leaving her hotel room, her own key tucked safely in the pocket of her jeans along with her phone, a wave of insecurity washed over her, nerves twisting her gut painfully. It was one thing to pounce on him backstage in his locker room or to speak to him at the performance center surrounded by others, but in his hotel room, they would be alone. Truly alone and the thought intimidated her more than she wanted to admit.

_Stop overthinking this!_

Giving the abandoned hallway one last check on either side, Rey knocked on the door of room 316 with a quivering hand. The door opened seconds later, her nerves dissolving at the sight before her leaving nothing but a rush of uninhibited lust.

Kylo stood in front of her topless, wearing only his jeans, sitting low enough on his hips she could see the trail of dark hair leading from his navel to below his waistband and the V of his torso. Briefly, she wondered if she had taken any longer how much more of his clothing he would have shed.

“Fuck,” he breathed, his eyes taking in all of her before he reached for her arm, pulling her to him in one rough tug and slamming the door behind her, “I thought you’d run again,”

“Not this time,” she managed to growl as his lips descended on hers, the intensity almost matching their first kiss of the evening as he pushed her against the wall of the room. Her hands twisted into his hair, holding him tightly while he pulled at her bottom lip.

She squealed as he grabbed her around the waist, effortlessly launching her onto the large double bed to her back. Rey grinned playfully at him, her heart racing as he crawled from the foot of the bed and up her body towards her, his eyes dark as onyx, a predator stalking his prey.

She wanted to be caught, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.

Kicking off her sneakers, she gripped the hem of her shirt to pull it overhead, abandoning the garment to the floor. He reached her lips, gripping her jaw in his large hand as he searched her face, his eyes burning for her as she boldly returned his gaze.

He growled something akin to a curse under his breath, capturing her lips again with his own, his tongue sliding against her as his free hand slid down her taut body, effortlessly pulling the button of her jeans free.

“Fuck, baby you are so beautiful,” he rasped, his lips working along her jaw, teeth scraping against the soft skin of her neck, “You have no idea how crazy you drive me,”

Grabbing the waistband of her jeans, he sat back on his knees pulling the fabric from her body roughly, leaving her lying back on his bed in nothing but her underwear. Rey blushed under his attention as he stared down at her with reverence in his eyes, breathing hard.

Her wrestling gear didn’t exactly hide her body, but it was nothing in comparison to the sight he was treated to. Long, strong legs met a nipped in waist and tight abs, moving up to perfectly proportioned breasts and a slender neck that begged to be kissed.

“You’re fucking perfect,” he said in awe, still staring down at her prone body. Rey bit her lip, grinning as she did.

“Don’t tell me you’re going all tender on me now? I thought Kylo Ren liked it rough,”

That did it. Her teasing tone, the smile on her face all combined with the tension that had been building as he’d paced the room waiting for her knock broke something in him, snarling as he leaped forward to steal her lips wildly. She whimpered against him, the force pushing her head into the pillows below.

She was helpless to him, caught in his trap as he trailed hot, wet kisses down her abdomen, tearing her underwear off her body. The fabric gave way with a satisfying rip under his hands but there was no time to mourn the loss as he forced her legs apart. He groaned in appreciation at the sight before him.

“I knew you’d have a perfect pussy,” he drawled, a breath away from her heat. Rey moaned lightly, her hips lifting in a vain attempt to force contact. He was teasing her. The fucker was teasing her, and he was enjoying every minute.

“Please…please Kylo…” He smirked, his eyes glancing up to watch her writhing on the bed.

“Use your words sweetheart,” he said smugly, “What do you want?”

“You know what I want…” Rey growled with difficulty, her irritation and want only growing as he chuckled arrogantly.

_There’s the Kylo I know…_

“I do…but I want to hear you say it,” As if to emphasize his point, he dragged a single digit through her soaked folds, flicking her clit and evoking a sharp hiss from her lips.

“I need you to make me cum!” she snapped, “I want you…so stop fucking teasing me!”

He wasted no time, mercifully putting her out of her misery, latching on to the swollen hub of nerves with his lips, sucking hard as his strong arms held her open. Her back arched from the bed, chest thrust towards the ceiling as she moaned loudly, any thoughts of the rooms around them dissipating into nothing while she gave in to the sensations he was creating.

“God you taste so fucking sweet,” he growled against her, “I could eat you out for days,”

Her response was unintelligible, a series of babbling pleas for him to keep doing exactly what he was doing between strained panted breaths. Arrogant he may have been, but the bastard could back up more than just his in-ring skills, moving in motions that were making Rey see stars as he sucked and licked, alternating between dizzying pressure and teasing caresses.

“You’re a mess, sweetheart,” he grinned, feeling her hips push towards him, “I can feel how badly you need to cum…your pussy is practically begging for it,”

Returning his lips to her, with precise slowness, he pushed a single digit into her soaked heat, savoring the feel of her around his finger as he began to work her slowly, listening to her pitched moans of pleasure and feeling her hand fisting in his hair.

“Oh God…fuck, fuck…” she panted, the pressure building to an almost critical limit as she tugged on his dark locks.

“You need more baby?” he asked innocently, glancing up her body to watch her nodding frantically. He felt painfully good, working her like he’d studied a damn handbook. Adding another finger, she whined, Kylo picking up his pace and thrusting into her hard and fast, still swirling against her oversensitive clit as he ripped her orgasm from her.

She was almost sobbing, the heel of her hand tightly caught between her teeth as he worked her through it, her whole-body convulsing with the sensation that washed over her. She’d had a few flings, a boyfriend in the past, but nothing compared to the mauling Kylo had just given her, how he’d worked her body like a cartographer, learning every sound and tell that she made with frightening speed.

As she opened her eyes, she watched in a haze of pleasure as he sat back on his knees, wiping her juices from him with his hand, a very self-satisfied smile on his face and a gleam in his dark eyes.

She reached around, pulling the catch of her bra and throwing the useless garment to the floor. He was snarling, a growl under his breath as he hovered over her darkly, reaching for the fly of his jeans.

“Get those off,” Rey commanded huskily, “Now,” Kylo grinned wolfishly, pulling the denim and his boxers from his body.

“You’re a demanding little thing, aren’t you?”

The relief was instant, his cock springing free from the confines he’d forced it into. Rey’s breath caught, finally seeing him bare to her, his solid member in his hand as he stroked himself. Kylo wasn’t a small man in _any_ capacity, the tip swollen and almost purple, already leaking for her. Unconsciously, she wetted her lips wondering just how much of him she could take in her mouth.

_Later…that’s for later_

“Well…what are you waiting for?”

She squealed as he pounced, trapping her body below his. She squirmed in anticipation, feeling his length grinding against her stomach, smearing precum along her skin as he kissed her passionately, her fingers gripping into his shoulders. Her legs wrapped around his waist, groaning in tandem as he dragged his shaft through her folds, the head of him nudging against her clit with every pass.

Hands in his ridiculously soft hair, she gave a tug. She was so sensitive, if they carried on like this she was certain she was going to cum again. Traces of her were still on his lips, driving her crazy and if he didn’t escalate soon, she was going to lose her mind. His hands were trailing everywhere as they kissed frantically, grinding against one another, spreading her slick across hips and sheets.

“Kylo…if you don’t make good on those promises in the next 5 seconds I’m going to be very disappointed,” she growled against his lips between kisses. He responded with a throaty chuckle, far more affected than his feigning nonchalance wanted her to believe.

“I’ve got what you need,” He snarled, his fat head pushing against her entrance. Rey sucked in a breath in anticipation, feeling the beginning of the stretch that she craved from him when suddenly he stopped, the euphoric expression on his face replaced by complete horror.

“Fuck…condoms,” he snapped, “I don’t have any condoms,”

It was a stupid idea that formed in her head, Rey knew that. It wasn’t like she was in the habit of sleeping around the locker room and it wasn’t something that she’d need to bring any with her on tour. She’d been so eager to just get to his damn room and to this very moment that the idea of needing a condom and other such logical thoughts hadn’t crossed her mind.

He told her he didn’t sleep around, that it wasn’t true what Phasma had told her, what if he was lying? But having him next to her, naked and _ready_ , sensible thoughts weren’t high on her agenda while her mind was screaming that if he didn’t fuck her soon, she was going to combust.

“I’m on birth control!” she blurted out, Kylo’s face morphing from annoyance to wide-eyed surprise, “and I’m clean…we don’t need one,”

“Are you sure? Like really, really sure?” he pressed, his cock still weeping his hand, “Because…”

An exasperated growl left her lips through clenched, bared teeth, her fingers still in his hair. Enough. She wanted more of what he had offered, not the careful considerate treatment. He groaned as she tightened the grip, his own fingers digging into the flesh on her hip.

“Yes!” she bit out, “I need you, _now_. I want you to fuck me raw until I can barely see straight!”

_Jesus. Where the hell did that come from…_

Kylo’s eyes darkened, the desire in her gut blooming at his intimidating expression when his lips pulled into a smirk.

“Oh, I’ll fuck you,” he replied, low and gravely, “I’m going to split you in two and after, you’re going to thank me and beg me for more…”

Bracing himself on his forearms above her, he nudged her legs apart with his own, pushing into her slowly. She gasped as his length stretched her, her eyes closing tightly as her head dropped back to the pillow. Reaching for her, he grabbed her jaw, commanding her attention.

“Don’t you dare look away, keep your eyes on me, baby,” he demanded, “I want to see you take all of me,”

His eyes burned for her and she couldn’t look away, the intensity of the contact heightening the feel of him pushing to the hilt, his hips flush against hers. With a shallow breath, he paused, allowing her to adapt to the feel of him, her pussy clenching, his cock twitching in response.

“Fuck you feel so good, Rey, so fucking tight,” he groaned, pulling back with equal slowness before snapping his hips viciously, the movement driving the air from her with a gasp.

The sensation was intoxicating, the slow drag before the violent return, Kylo testing her limits before he took control, grabbing her waist in his large hand to turn the lower half of her body, his other hand holding her upper torso flat on the bed. He straddled her lower leg, the other raised around his hip as he pistoned into her with abandon, the lewd sound of damp skin slapping against skin mingling with his grunts and her breathless moans.

“Oh fuck…yes, baby, right there!” she moaned, his thrusts hitting her in all the right places as he worked into her relentlessly, holding her body down so she could do nothing but grasp fruitlessly at the ruined sheets on the bed.

“You take my cock so well sweetheart,” he crooned, his hand stroking along her bare thigh tenderly, his voice and the action in direct contradiction to the way he was still brutally moving, “Look at you stretch for me like a good girl…”

“So big,” she managed to say between panting breaths, “You’re so big…fuck…so good,”

Bodies sheened in sweat, hips soaked as his snapped against hers with every stroke, grunting and snarling like animals in a rut, the power of his thrusts rocking the bed forcefully. It was carnal, primal and exactly what she had been missing. Rey was slightly taller than the average girl and strong, but in Kylo’s hands, she was putty. Something to be molded and played with however he desired as he manhandled her with ease.

“I’m so close…please…please…” she was delirious with pleasure, unsure what she was even begging for anymore. His hand slid from her breast, pulling at her nipple as it did, trailing down her slick body to find where they joined, his fingers relentlessly rubbing uncoordinated circles against her throbbing clit.

“That’s it, baby…let me hear you!”

Screaming without a care for who heard, she came with a gush, her body convulsing and trembling around him like waves. With one last intense thrust, she milked his own release from him as he came with a long, strained shout.

Both breathing hard, he pulled from her, Rey carefully twisting her body back from the awkward angle, wincing at the ache in her hips. Without saying a word, he lay on his side next to her, holding her head gently and pulling her into a tender kiss, their heartbeats slowly returning to normal.

It was like moving through treacle, her whole body felt heavy and lethargic, sated and safe. His manner now was so different. Gone was the tension, the arrogance that she hated to admit was growing on her. Now he seemed almost gentle and more relaxed, a dozy smile on his face and his dark eyes soft.

Pushing the damp, sweat-soaked hair from his forehead, Rey kissed him sweetly before turning and climbing from the bed. Kylo watched in puzzlement as she moved around the room, grabbing her clothes.

“What are you doing?” he asked quietly. Rey stopped to look at him, her discarded and somewhat torn clothes in her arms.

“I’m getting changed,” she said plainly like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “to go back to my room?” Kylo frowned, sitting up on the bed.

“Why?”

“I, um, didn’t think you’d want me to…stay,” she replied shyly. Kylo’s eyes widened at her words.

“Rey, you’re not just some girl I picked up…you’re _you_ ,” he insisted, “Of course I want you to stay. So, put down the clothes and get in this fucking bed with me,”

_You’re you_

The sincerity in his voice, the pleading looks in his eyes. Rey didn’t want to think about what it all meant, she didn’t want to get her hopes up for something she didn’t even know she wanted. Dropping her clothes, she made her way back to the bed, sliding under the sheets and nestling herself back in his waiting arms.

“I _really_ like you,” she whispered, her voice unsure and small. His grip on her tightened, a kissed pressed to the crown of her head.

“I know,” he smiled, “I really like you too,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kylo 316 says I just broke your bed! (One for the Stone Cold Steve Austin fans)


	10. A Good Nutritious Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I have some spare time next week to write an extra chapter in time for the Friday update, the result being you all get an extra update this weekend.
> 
> This chapter was supposed to have far more plot...but instead it's basically smut. Smut and fluff. With Smut. 
> 
> Oh look...my Daddy kink is showing.
> 
> Plot?...I don't know her...

[](https://imgur.com/rGvdQsZ)

Upon waking the first thing Rey noticed was that she was too damn hot.

The second thing that came to her attention was that she couldn’t move. Bleary-eyed, she shifted the sheet to glance down at her body only to find herself locked tightly in Kylo’s arms, his face buried in her hair as he slept. As her senses slowly began to come to life, she realized with a dozy smile that they were still completely naked, his morning wood pressed against her lower back.

She sighed happily, content to feel the expanse of his naked skin against hers as he held her firmly. The previous night, Rey hadn’t considered much past the desperate need to get into his room and in his bed but now she was there, the golden light of the morning streaming through the crack in the curtains, she hadn’t expected to feel so safe.

There was a lot they still had to discuss but she was nervous to broach the topic. Sure, they had both confessed to liking each other but where did they go from here? Was this a one time deal just to break the unbearable sexual tension? Were they fucking without attachment? Dating? Too many questions swirled around her head for someone who had just woken up, none of which she could answer while she was being roasted alive in the arms of a human furnace.

Carefully, Rey wiggled her legs, willing his locked limbs to ease the hold he had on her only to find her movement had the opposite effect. His grip tightened, an undignified squeak escaping her lips.

“Kylo…baby,” she whispered softly, grabbing his forearm, “You have to let me up,”

From behind her head, she heard him inhale deeply, slowly waking but still his hold remained unrelenting.

“Nope,” he grunted, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.

“Come on, let me breathe a little,” she giggled, “Your huge, stupid python arms are trying to crush me to death!”

Mercifully, she finally felt his arms relax, her lungs singing in relief at being able to take a full inhale of air. Smiling to herself, she felt his lips trail from the top of her shoulder, along her neck to the sensitive spot behind her ear, a shudder running down her spine at the contact.

“As I recall, you weren’t complaining when these stupid python arms were holding you up last night,” he teased, his voice still rough with sleep, “Good morning, by the way…” Carefully, she rolled to her back to face him.

“Good morning,” she replied shyly, “How’d you sleep?”

“With you in my bed? Like the dead. Haven’t felt so well rested in a long time,” he yawned, rolling over to stretch his arms overhead, the vertebrae in his back cracking lightly. Reaching out, he pulled Rey into his side, her head coming to rest under his chin, “Hmm. I could get used to this,”

“Get used to what?”

“Waking up with company. Yours specifically,”

Rey stilled, bringing her thumb to her mouth, biting at the nail nervously. He _had_ brought the subject up first.

“So…I want to get this out of the way now,” she said quietly, “What…what are we doing here?”

“We’re lying in bed…” Rey snorted, sitting up to lean over him, searching his sleep addled face.

“You know what I mean. Last night, this whole thing…what is this?”

Kylo blinked up at her thoughtfully. It was hardly the question he was expecting to be presented with only a few minutes after waking. Breathing deeply, he rubbed his face, trying to force his mind to catch up with his body. Gently, he reached out to stroke her cheek.

“I told you that I liked you,” he replied bashfully, “Believe it or not, I don’t really feel that way about…people. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t felt this way about someone in a really long time, maybe ever…and I’m not seeing anyone else, I don’t want to! I…umm…”

His rambling was cut short by her lips on his, kissing him sweetly, his hand coming to rest in her messy hair. He could feel her smiling against his lips, still grinning at him when she pulled away.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting shy on me now?” she said softly, pulling at her bottom lip with her teeth, “I thought the great Kylo Ren didn’t do _shy_?”

“Ben,” he said suddenly. Rey frowned down at him, her head tilted in confusion.

“What?”

“My name…my real name is Ben,” he said softly, “Rey, I want to be with you…just you…whatever that looks like. Umm, you know, if _you_ want to…”

“Okay…Ben,” she smiled, testing the name on her tongue, “Let’s see where this goes,”

Pulling her back down to him, she giggled against his lips as he kissed her. The sudden vibration against the hotel room floor diverted Rey’s attention, her head turning towards the sound emanating from her jeans pocket. Pecking him quickly on the lips, she gathered the sheet around her naked body, Kylo yelping indignantly as she climbed from the bed, taking the cover with her.

“Hey!”

“I’ll only be a second!” she quipped, reaching to grab her phone. Wandering back to the bed, Kylo grabbed for the sheets, arranging it back over their bodies as she settled into his arms again, leaning against the headboard.

“It’s Rose,” Rey stated, “She’s checking I’m not dead…and she wants to know if I’m free for breakfast?” she finished, looking up at Kylo.

“What?”

“Would you want to join us?” she inquired tentatively, “They don’t really know anything…” Kylo smiled, kissing her forehead.

“Listen, I will follow your lead here okay?” he said, “If you want to tell everyone now, then we tell them. If you’d rather wait…then we do that,”

“I don’t want to hide it!” she assured, “I just don’t think we need to make some big announcement. Let people find out the usual way…”

“Wrestling gossip?”

“Exactly,”

“How about this? I normally hit the hotel gym before I eat. Why don’t you go to breakfast with your friends and I’ll join you guys when I’m done,” Rey smiled widely, nodding in agreement.

“Perfect! Now, let’s check the socials…” she muttered, scrolling through the various sites. Kylo rolled his eyes.

“Why bother with those? You know it’s all just fans making up their own theories,” he scoffed, “and the dirt sheets are almost never accurate!”

“I know but Finn said something to me last night about our segment blowing up twitter or something so just indulge me,” as she continued to scroll, her eyes suddenly grew wide, “Oh. My. God,”

“What?”

“We’re a ship!” she laughed. Kylo frowned incredulously.

“We’re a what?!”

“A ship…”

“Like…on the seven seas or?”

“You’re not really an internet person, are you?” Kylo shook his head, “A ship or ‘to ship people’ means that people are fans of a couple, so people are…in love…with your relationship…or something. It’s hard to explain but _look_ , we even have our own hashtag!” Kylo took the phone from Rey, squinting at the screen.

“What’s a _reylo_?” he asked, and Rey grinned.

“We are! We’re ‘Reylo’. It’s our names squashed together!” she laughed, “It’s kinda cute…”

“It’s kinda weird,” he said, handing the phone back to her, “How do they even know?”

“Well…they don’t really,” Rey explained further, snuggling into his side, “They just…latched onto us as a fantasy couple from what they saw in the segment…like, have you ever just seen two people together and thought ‘they’d make a cute couple!’. It’s like that,”

“I can honestly say I have never done that…” Kylo snorted, watching her scroll through the comments on twitter, “Imagine if they really knew what happened last night. They’d lose their shit!”

“Hmm. Probably for the best that we’re on opposing teams then,” she teased, pressing a kiss to his neck, “Oh, here’s a comment you’ll love. ‘Kylo Ren is such a fox. I’d totally call him Daddy!’,”

His arm around her shoulders, Rey could have sworn she felt the muscle in his bicep twitch. Putting the phone down, she turned to smirk at him.

“Ben?” she asked innocently, “Did you just twitch?” He rolled his neck, clearing his throat.

“No…” Rey continued to smile, throwing the phone to the pile of clothes on the floor, slowly sliding her leg over his him to straddle his naked waist, “So, if I were to sit here like this…and call you daddy…you wouldn’t feel a thing?”

He sucked in a breath, the muscle under his left eye jumping as he clenched his jaw.

_That’s…new._

Being rough in bed was nothing new to him. The women he’d been with in the past, the few, short relationships he’d had, they’d been receptive to his particular tastes but this, this was something else and hearing the word from Rey’s mouth stoked a fire in his gut. It didn’t help that she was as naked as he was, her folds grinding over his already hardening cock as her arms circled his neck.

The word felt foreign in her mouth, but it was a welcome sound. It rolled from her tongue naturally, her gut clenching in anticipation as her fingers toyed with his hair. He watched with glazed eyes as she bit her lip, teeth leaving small indents in the soft skin there, a light blush rising prettily on her cheeks.

“Say it again…” he demanded darkly, his hands skimming her bare thighs. Rey smiled wickedly.

“Anything for you…Daddy,”

His cock twitched under her as he grabbed her head, pulling her towards him in a bruising kiss. What was this girl doing to him? She was made for him as if a higher power had taken everything he wanted in a partner, given her hazel eyes, a perfect smile and placed her in his world. She whimpered, his hands blazing a trail over her skin, teasing her nipple with just the right balance of pleasure and pain.

Gasping open-mouthed against his lips, he found her already soaked for him, her slick grinding along his aching cock, desperate for relief despite her tenderness from the night before. He smirked as she whined, rolling her pulsing clit between his fingers.

“Fuck, you are so sensitive aren’t you sweetheart?” he crooned, “I love you responsive you are for me,”

He was teasing her, the pads of his fingers making slow circles around her cunt, dragging through her slit with a painful precision that was making her dizzy, her hips rolling of their own accord.

“Your pussy is perfect, and it’s all mine…say it, who does your pussy belong to, Rey?”

“Yours…it’s yours,” she panted, her eyes closed tightly as he dipped a single finger to her entrance before frustratingly pulling away again. A growl rumbled in his chest.

“Yours…who?”

“Yours Daddy,” she breathed huskily and Kylo smirked possessively.

“That’s right,” he replied, “Now…tell Daddy what you want,”

She moaned, feeling him pinch her clit between his fingers gently, the sensitive hub of nerves throbbing at his touch. There was a freedom she didn’t know she needed, giving herself over to him completely, letting him take control but also a trust that he wasn’t going to hurt her any more than she asked. Her hands gripped his shoulders, nails digging into the muscle as he lazily played with her sensitive cunt.

“I want you…to use me,” she growled, “I want to cum for you...”

It was like she was having an out of body experience, his intoxicating presence making her say things that she would never have dreamed of with anybody else. She was watching herself turn into this wanton woman, begging for what she wanted. Kylo’s eyes darkened, his pupils blown wide as he inhaled sharply.

“Just say the magic word sweetheart,” he drawled, his free hand fisting in her hair, forcing her to look him in the eye.

“Please…Daddy,”

His fingers left her, pushing her to sit up on her knees as he grabbed his cock, lining himself up so she could sink back onto him with a strangled gasp. Still sore from their activities the night before, she hissed at the burn as she took all of him, but it was a pain she would welcome every time, the stretch giving her a sense of comfort that she didn’t know she’d been missing.

Kissing her roughly, he remained pressed against the headboard, his hands coming to rest behind his head in an arrogant pose.

“You want to cum for me? Let me see you, baby,” he snarled, “Move,”

She was helpless but to do as he commanded, rolling her body quickly as she bounced on his hips, her thighs burning with the effort. Kylo watched her intently, his fingers still interlocked behind his head, Rey’s breasts heaving with the effort of every jolt, her eyes closed and mouth hanging open in euphoria.

“You look so perfect,” he praised, “You’re such a good girl for me, fucking yourself on my cock…”

“It’s so good Daddy,” she moaned between panted breaths, “You feel so good!”

There was that word again. Every time it left her lips he could feel himself tightening, his cock twitching and throbbing with desire as she moved, his own breath catching in his throat tightly. She clenched around him, her walls pulsing and fluttering, so sensitive that he knew she was close already.

“Touch yourself,” he commanded, watching her lick her hand to circle herself furiously, her eyes squeezing tightly as she gave in to the pleasure, “That’s it…rub that pussy for Daddy,”

He sat back with hungry eyes, watching her chase her bliss and tip herself over the edge with a choked cry, warmth spilling over his hips as she gushed for him. Her body was useless, her strength waning as she fell forward against his chest, into his arms.

“So good baby,” he soothed, “You’re such a good girl for me...” holding her tightly against his body, he pushed them forward to lay her on her back, Rey’s legs firmly around his waist as he began to work into her, her teeth finding the junction between his shoulder and neck as his hips slapped against hers.

“Please…please…I’m…I’m gonna…” she choked, her throat raw as he kept up his relentless pace.

“Coming for me again? My girl is greedy,” he teased through gritted teeth, grabbing one of her legs to hitch it up over his hip, forcing him deeper, “Is that how your pussy likes it? Hard and rough?”

“Yes Daddy, oh my God…Yes! There!” she cried, her second orgasm crashing through her body, her muscles tensing as she gripped around him tightly, forcing his own climax, his legs, and ass clenching tightly with the strain.

Breathing hard, he balanced his weight on his forearms to avoid crushing Rey’s limp body, peppering her lips and face with kisses, mumbling his praises. She hissed lightly as he pulled from her, feeling his cum drip onto the mangled sheets below as he rolled to his back, bodies coated in sweat.

“Okay…maybe I felt something,” he mumbled, tilting his head to kiss her shoulder, “but you’re the only one I want calling me ‘Daddy’,”

00000

“Where the hell have you been?” Rose demanded as Rey approached their table, “We’ve been waiting for you for over an hour!”

Rey smiled innocently, trying not to wince as she took a seat. Her whole lower body was aching even after the shower she had taken, deciding between them it was best to shower in her own room since neither could be trusted to keep their hands to themselves.

“I slept in, sue me,” she shrugged, grabbing the menu from the center of the table, her eyes scanning the page. Poe sat directly opposite, smirking over the rim of his coffee mug.

“Slept in huh?” he commented, “Is that why there’s a bite mark on your neck?” Rey dropped the menu, covering her neck with her hands in a panic.

“What?! No there isn’t!” she protested, drawing out a triumphant laugh from Poe.

“No there isn’t but now we know what you were really up to!” he declared proudly, “Come on then, who did you hook up with last night?”

“And just _how_ is that proof?” Rey snipped with a scowl, picking up the menu again. Poe sniggered.

“Oh please, the way you were dancing around trying to get a cab? The secret little messages you didn’t want us reading over your shoulder? Climbing over me to get out of the car first then practically _sprinting_ into the hotel…I _know_ a hook up when I see one. As I said…who is he?”

Rey grabbed for the water jug on the table, filling her glass and gulping down the cool liquid while avoiding Poe’s unyielding gaze. Heat crawled up her neck, the cold water doing nothing to cool the flush rising on her skin. Rose had put down her menu, joining Poe in his interrogation.

“Yeah, Rey, who could it possibly be?” she smiled sweetly. Draining her glass, Rey reached for a refill, relieved to see Finn and Paige approach the table.

“Look! Finn and Paige are here, let’s talk to them!” she exclaimed loudly. Poe shook his head.

“Oh no…no dice toots,” he said firmly. Finn frowned.

“What are we talking about? Rey’s hook up?” He smiled. Rey groaned, her forehead falling to the table with a thump.

“Finn, not you too…”

“Sorry peanut,” he smiled, “You’re not as subtle as you think you are…”

“Come on Rey, just confess,” Paige said, “Besides…is it who we think it is?!” she gestured between herself and Rose, winking at her friend.

“Stop that!” Rey snapped, “You look like you have a twitch…”

“Just answer the question Jackson and all this will be over!” Poe pressed. Rey stared down at the menu. It was the third time she had tried to look since sitting down and she still hadn’t read a word.

“I just want a nice quiet breakfast with my friends…have you saw any of them, by the way?!” she snipped.

Pancakes and bacon. That’s what she was having. Rose nudged her arm.

“If it’s who I think it is…just blink once…”

“Rose!”

“Oh my God, was that a blink? Did she blink?!”

“Do you guys know?” Poe demanded, “How do you guys know, and we don’t?!”

“Girls talk, Poe!” Paige elaborated, “We know _everything_!”

The chatter continued around the table, her friends continuing to verbally poke and prod for information until Kylo appeared behind the empty chair to Rey’s left side. Dropping the menu, the bright smile she gave him was unmistakable, the other inhabitants sitting in open-mouthed silence, Poe and Finn in shock while Rose and Paige grinned widely.

“Hey, is this seat taken?”


	11. Pancakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning! It's the Friday update of One Fall - Thank you so much for all the comments so far!
> 
> There's a term in this chapter that I will add to the glossary but I'll explain it here: Kayfabe is a very old wrestling term which means "to stay in character". So even outside of the ring if you were "Keeping kayfabe" then it meant you were staying in character in all ways. These day's they tend to say that Kayfabe outside of the ring is dead but some companies, especially in Japan, still take Kayfabe very seriously, even going as far as to have the faces and the heels dressing in separate rooms.

[](https://imgur.com/14eurPA)

“Hey, is this seat taken?”

Five sets of eyes blinked up at him as he stood behind the empty chair. Rose and Paige had a pair of conspiratorial smiles, smirking at him like they knew a dirty little secret while Finn held a smile of his own, nodding at him like a proud parent at their kid's dance performance. Poe simply stared in shock, his mouth flapping uselessly like a fish out of water.

_Shit_

He hadn’t _told_ anyone. It’s not like he walked up to the table and announced that he and Rey had spent the night fucking each other useless. He had been walking past after his workout, intent to go back to his room and send her a message to ask if she had plans when he had simply spied her at the table. His feet had their own agenda and so he found himself there.

Rey had assured him that she didn’t want to hide things between them. She didn’t want to sneak around or try and go cloak and dagger about their new-found relationship, but what if this was too soon? Awkwardly, Kylo scratched the back of his neck, ready to make himself scarce when Rey’s beaming smile relieved the impending pressure in his chest.

“Hey! No, please join us,” she grinned, patting the seat next to her, “How was your workout?”

Kylo breathed a slight sigh of relief, filling the last empty seat at the table and taking his place next to her.

“It was good but man, I’m starving now! Have you ordered yet?” He asked, tilting his head to look at the menu. Rey moved for him to see better, the couple pressed together as they shared the list of items to read together.

“Well, that’s what you get for empty stomach cardio!” She teased, “I’m thinking pancakes…”

“Pancakes sound great, and coffee…I definitely need to get coffee…”

“WHOA WHOA WHOA!” Poe suddenly shouted, the whole table jumping at his outburst. Kylo and Rey dropped their shared menu to look at the man, “Just…What in the hell is going on?!”

“Well I think it’s pretty obvious,” Finn smirked into his coffee, grinning over the rim of his mug. Poe stared around the table incredulously, horrified as to why he was the only one confused. He leveled a finger at the two, moving between them.

“You…and him!?”

“Hey, I got a name, dude…” Poe dropped his hand.

“Sorry…I know…it’s just…how? When? What?!” he pressed as Paige stifled a giggle.

“Well I think it’s cute,” Finn said, “You two have spent way too long pining over each other…” Kylo turned to Rey with a smug smile.

“You were pining over me?” Rey blushed furiously, grabbing for her water.

“Thanks for that, Finn,”

“You’re welcome, Peanut!”

“Nobody has answered my question!” Poe cut in with irritation, “When?”

“Last night, if you must know,” Rey replied bluntly before turning to the waitress and ordering her coffee, “Not that it’s really any of your business!”

“It’s wrestling,” Poe replied, “It’s everyone’s business. Look, it’s not that I’m not happy for you guys…if you’re happy then that’s amazing but…have you thought about the story?”

“What story?” Poe rolled his eyes, everyone else at the table looking between them as if they were following a tennis match.

“ _The_ story! You know…the one on TV that we’ve been building for months? I know they say kayfabe is dead but if this gets out…”

“Give us some credit!” Kylo drawled, “Rey and I are perfectly capable of keeping things professional at work,”

_Maybe…_

“That’s lovely and good for you two but we’re in the digital era, pal! All it’ll take is one person to get a snap of you two and _boom_! It’ll be all over social media, that hashtag will blow up, even more, the dirt sheets will be on it and we’ll all be in trouble of losing our spots!”

Rey scowled at her friend, choosing to remain silent as her coffee was put in front of her until the waitress was out of earshot. Who the hell was he to lecture them on relationships? He was hardly a beacon of virtue.

“It’s nice that you’re so concerned,” Kylo said, “But it’s early days, we’re fine. People date in wrestling all the time, this is nothing new…”

“Yeah Poe, and besides, you of all people should know that sometimes…things just happen, right?” Rey said coolly, fixing him with a loaded stare across the table as she sipped her coffee, her eyes never leaving his. Poe frowned uncomfortably.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he questioned. Rey smiled, a smattering of venom below the innocence she portrayed.

“Oh, you know, you and…Jess,” she replied, still sipping her coffee.

The silent tension around the table grew palpable, Paige sitting ramrod straight as Rose, Finn and Kylo sat with confused stares, their eyes flicking between Poe and Rey. Kylo cleared his throat, his large hand gently resting on Rey’s forearm.

“Hey, you said you wanted pancakes, right? Well I know for a fact there an IHOP like 10 minutes from here, let me buy you breakfast?” he said lightly, pulling her attention from the situation brewing at the table. Rey smiled affectionately at him, her whole demeanor changing.

“That sounds great,” she agreed, putting down her substandard coffee and pushing her chair back, “Guys, I’ll see you all later for the flight?”

They nodded, Finn and Rose saying their farewells as they left the table while Poe and Paige said nothing, watching Rey leave with Kylo, the bigger man’s hand resting on their friend’s lower back. Finn turned to Poe.

“What the hell was that about?” he asked. Poe shrugged, finishing the last of his coffee.

“Beats me,”

00000

Rey’s stomach dropped as they left the hotel through the main entrance, the cold light of day hitting her as she covered her face with her hands, groaning, realizing what she had done.

“Oh my God…I’m such a bitch,” she moaned.

“I’m guessing there’s something going on there that we’re not supposed to know about?” Kylo said, nudging her gently. Rey dropped her hands, giving him a forlorn expression.

“Remember that thing? I told you that someone was cheating?” she said. He nodded.

“Well…and you have to keep this quiet…”

“Isn’t that how all gossip stories begin?” he jested sarcastically as Rey continued.

“Poe is cheating on his girlfriend Jessika…with Paige Tico. I caught them in the hallway at the performance center talking about it, about how Paige wants him to break up with Jess and…all that other stuff,” she elaborated, “Damn…it actually feels good to get it off my chest…”

“Now you know why so many people talk,” he quipped, “But…damn, man, I expected more from the golden boy of wrestling. That’s rough. I take it they don’t know…that you know?”

“I don’t think so…maybe now mind you!” Rey sighed, “He just made me so mad! Who is he to judge anyone and their relationships when he can’t even keep his own business in check!”

“Hey, sweetheart, I agree with you…the only reason I didn’t say anything is that they’re your friends,” he said. A sweet smile appeared on Rey’s face.

“…say that again,”

“They’re your friends?”

“Nope, not that…”

“…I agree with you?”

“One more time,”

“Sweetheart?”

The resplendent smile she gave him lit up her whole face, her eyes sparkling in the Minneapolis sun. An unusual pride filled him, his chest puffing slightly with the knowledge that he had given her that expression and he silently vowed to make her smile as much as possible.

“I like that,” she confessed shyly. Kylo held his hand out to her, wiggling his fingers in a silent offer, grinning widely when she placed her far smaller hand in his.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he smiled, “Let’s get some pancakes,”

They walked along the street in comfortable silence, content to bask in the late morning air and the feeling of their fingers locked together. Rey had never been one to seek protection, not really. She never felt the need to have a man with her. Helpless damsel in distress was never her style, but walking alongside him, his frame large next to her, she felt a kind of safety that she hadn’t been aware she’d been yearning for.  

Safety, and a huge degree of pride that he was hers, smiling to herself as they walked hand in hand together.

Entering the IHOP, her senses were assaulted by the mouth-watering smell of frying batter, sickly sweet syrup, and rich coffee, her stomach growling in anticipation as they were seated near the window, sliding into the booth across from him.

“This…was a much better idea,” she said with satisfaction, barely glancing at the menu before she made her choice, “How did you know it was here?”

“When you travel around so much, you end up in the same places,” Kylo shrugged, “You just kinda get to know what’s around,”

Rey nodded in agreement. She wasn’t nearly as well traveled as Kylo when it came to touring but she’d spent enough time on the road to know that there were some small details worth knowing. Which gyms would offer day passes without the hassle of contracts, which Seven Elevens offered the best coffee, where you could pick up a cheap meal at 3 o’clock in the morning. When you were on the road, all of these seemingly insignificant details mattered.

They both ordered, the waitress bringing them piping hot coffee that Rey began to dump sugar into, stirring in her cream as Kylo wrinkled his nose in distaste.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Rey said, dropping the teaspoon and picking up her mug.

“What do you want to know? Pretty sure everything about me is on Wikipedia or some kids wrestling blog,”

She had googled him more times than she would ever admit to his face, but there was a difference between information and hearsay on a website and hearing it directly from the man himself.

“It probably is,” she agreed, “But I want to hear it from you. Growing up with that kind of family had to be pretty exciting?” Kylo snorted, his lip fighting a curl.

“You’d think,” he huffed bitterly. Rey frowned lightly. She knew that there had been issues between Kylo and Luke, but everything else was a mystery.

“What do you mean?” she pressed, tilting her head curiously, silently imploring him to carry on. He sighed, his shoulders dropping.

“Well, you know who my Uncle is, my Mom…my Dad,” he began, “Imagine being a kid. Your Dad is Han Solo, one of the most famous wrestlers in the world; One half of ‘The Millenium Falcons’. Your Uncle is Luke Skywalker, legendary Intercontinental Champion, hall of famer. Your Mom is Leia Organa, one of the pioneers of women’s wrestling and the first woman to ever compete in an intergender competition. Hell, even Chewie helped raise me!”

He paused thoughtfully, taking a sip of his coffee, Rey remaining silent, so he could continue.

“You know how big a fanbase they all had…have. Think about that…think about how many kids all over the world idolized them, loved them. It was their job to be nice to the fans, to shower the kids with attention, to be the heroes these kids looked up to. Now, try being _their_ kid. Sitting at home, watching them on the TV, watching from the sidelines as they did autograph signings and photo ops. I got to watch them give everything to everyone else…and when they’d come home? Well, let’s just say, there wasn’t much left for me…”

Rey regarded him quietly, unsure of what to say. Before, she had been so angry at the idea of him abandoning his family. Hearing that he had left them all behind had struck a nerve with her, triggering a response that was instinctual, ingrained in her from her own upbringing. Hearing him now, the raw honesty in his voice, created a dull ache in her chest. Her face twisting in pain for the little boy that just wanted his parents to see him.

“To everyone else, they were superstars, but I knew the truth. I wasn’t planned, my Mom and Dad would fight constantly if they were ever in the house at the same time, which wasn’t often. I always felt like my Mom resented me for cutting her career short, resented my Dad for still being able to go on the road…eventually, they separated. They talk now but for the longest time, it was radio silence. Han went to Europe, trained in England. I didn’t see him for years,”

“Ben, I’m so sorry,” Rey said quietly, reaching out to grasp his hand, relieved that he didn’t flinch or pull away as her thumb stroked his palm.

“I started wrestling because I wanted to be just like them,” he said thoughtfully, his eyes far away, “but it was more than that, I wanted them to be _proud_ of me. I wanted that approval. Growing up, I was surrounded by people all the time…but I was always alone,”

He cleared his throat, grabbing for his coffee once more.

“Fuck, I’m sorry…I must sound like such a needy bastard,” he chuckled bitterly, “Enough about my sad life, what about you? Tell me,” Rey smiled sadly.

“I’m not sure mine is going to sound much better,” she said, “Alright. I was born in London, my parents were killed in a car accident when I was 5 and I was sent to live with my Uncle Plutt…” Ben’s coffee mug froze on route to his mouth, his brows furrowing.

“Rey…Fuck, I don’t know what to say…” She shrugged uncomfortably.

“He was an arsehole. My whole life was going to a shitty public school, working for him in his garage…and wrestling. I found this old, beat up portable TV hidden with the junk in the garage, so I stole it and hid it in my room. I would watch channel 4 late at night to see the old re-runs. Wrestling was…an escape. All those colorful people, good guys triumphing over the bad guys…it showed me another world, it made me think that things could be better. I knew that’s what I wanted to do…so I worked and scrimped and saved and the minute I turned 18, I bought a plane ticket to New York and I never looked back,”

“That’s…really brave,” Kylo said honestly, “Seriously, I don’t think I’d have the guts to do that…” Rey smiled gratefully.

“It wasn’t bravery so much as survival. I didn’t really even have friends until I started wrestling when I met Rose and Finn and Poe,” she said, “but, even then, I guess I’ve always been alone,”

They stared at each other across the table, neither one really noticing the waitress as she put down their food.

There it was. Two sides of the coin. The boy whose wrestler parents seemed to give their sparkle to any child but him and sitting opposite, the little girl who they inspired to chase a dream. Growing up, it had never occurred to him that the children who idolized his parents might have needed someone like that in their lives, someone outside of their own bubble to tell them that if they worked hard if they kept on believing in better, that things would all be okay. Internally, he suddenly wondered if he’d been selfish.

Rey, in turn, continued to stroke his hand, his story tumbling in her mind. As a girl, she’d pretend that Leia Organa or Amilyn Holdo was her mother. They were beautiful and strong, fearless in the face of adversity and she knew, she just knew, that they would have been perfect. Not once did she consider the harsh light of reality, why would she when her own was so grey?

Ben picked up her hand, pressing a warm kiss to her knuckles.

“You’re not alone,” he said softly, keeping her hand pressed to his cheek. Rey smiled at him, her stomach fluttering as his stubble grazed her fingers.

“Neither are you,”

He released her fingers, both remembering that their food was patiently waiting for them on the table, huge stacks of steaming pancakes with extra bacon, begging to be smothered in butter and syrup. Rey was just about to grab for the sweet topping to do just that when both their phones buzzed at the same time. Simultaneously, they reached into their pockets, reading their messages.

“It’s Leia,” Rey said aloud, “She wants a meeting with me,”

“Me too,” Ben muttered, “When does she want to see you?”

“As soon as we land in Denver,”


	12. Mama Knows Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Have a random update!
> 
> Wrestling lingo - An Agent for a match is someone who tells you how the match is going to play out, if they want a particular finish etc. Normally only for bigger shows and companies.

[](https://imgur.com/Nx409J4)

The flight to Denver from Minneapolis may have only been a little over 2 hours but for Rey it felt like a lifetime.

This wasn’t helped by the fact she was sandwiched in between Paige and Rose the whole way. Paige was still quiet after Rey’s barb towards Poe at the breakfast table, but Rose hadn’t stopped probing her about her new relationship since her behind had hit the seat.

“So…”

“So, what?”

“How was it?”

“…it?” Rose huffed in frustration.

“You know what I’m talking about! Sex. How was the sex?!” Rey grumbled, trying to flick through her in-flight magazine and avoid her friends’ eyes.

“I am _not_ discussing this with you on a plane,” she replied shortly, “A plane where we are surrounded by our co-workers or do I need to remind you?”

“We don’t need to say any names!” Rose insisted, “Let’s call him…Mr. Grumpy,”

“Mr. Grumpy?”

“Oh, because he’s so happy all the time?”

“I’m not calling him that. Leave him alone!” Rey hissed, her brows furrowing. She should have known this would happen the minute her friends got her alone. Rose sighed.

“Well…at least tell me how big it was?”

“What?! NO!”

“Just tell me when to stop…” Rose said, holding up her hands in the manner a fisherman would describe their latest catch, widening all the time, “This big? _This_ big...BIGGER? Oh, come on now it’s getting comical…I’m starting over…say when…”

“Rose, I’m not playing this game with you!” Rey snapped, “Listen…I really like this guy alright? I don’t want gossip and rumors or anything else to mess it up. It’s still new,” Rose dropped her hands, smiling gently.

“I know. I’m sorry, I’ll stop messing with you,” she said, “But…was it good?” Rey grinned wickedly, images of the morning flashing through her mind.

“Remember when I told you I didn’t think I’d be disappointed?” Rose nodded, hungry for the news, “I was definitely _not_ disappointed!”

The American Vietnamese girl squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. Poe, sitting in front of them, turned in his seat to frown at them over the headrest.

“Can you guys stop talking about Kylo’s dick? Some of us are trying to get some shut-eye!”

“Shut up!” Rey hissed, “If you were eavesdropping then you’ll have heard me say I don’t want to make a big deal out of it!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear all the things you were saying in public at volume,” Poe replied sarcastically. Rey sighed. Poe was still in a mood too.

She needed to speak with him. Privately, but much like the other topic of conversation, the cabin of a plane was not the place to do it and since they still had to work together, Rey decided to swallow her pride, at least for the moment.

“Look, Poe, I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you this morning,” Rey said gently, “It wasn’t fair. I just felt a little…attacked that’s all,” Poe’s face softened.

“Well…I’m sorry too,” he conceded, “I just…we’re working really hard here. All of us. I’d hate for something as stupid as love to mess things up. Unless you want to go back to working in school gyms for 50 bucks a night and eating tuna straight from the can…”

“You still do that!” Rose cried incredulously. Poe grinned.

“Why would I stop? Tuna is awesome and it’s a good source of protein after the gym!”

Rey smiled, the tension gone from her shoulders having finally cleared the air with her friend, but she couldn’t help noticing that Paige was still quiet throughout the whole exchange. Peaking around Poe’s head, she could see Kylo near the front of the plane, his dark hair above the headrest of his seat.

The sooner they landed in Denver the better.

00000

There had been little time to see Kylo once they had landed, the airport bustling with activity, people frantically trying to get their luggage while every wrestler sent up the traditional prayer that their bags hadn’t been lost in transit.

“Our father who art in heaven, if you’re listening…please _please_ don’t let Delta have taken another suitcase from me. Wrestling gear is expensive, and I am but a humble bump monkey…” Poe pleaded with the sky, his eyes closed and his hands in prayer, the other wrestlers chuckling around him.

They’d all been there.

“Stop being a drama queen!” Rey laughed, “There’s your bag!” She was relieved to see her own followed suit.

As soon as they were in the venue, Rey was to seek out the room Leia had accosted as her makeshift office for the day and knowing that Kylo was going to be there too caused a giddy little smile on her face. The subject of the meeting, however, had her less enthused. She was certain that, somehow, someone had tipped off the bosses about their new relationship.

Anxiety twisting her stomach in knots, she knocked on the door, opening when Leia called for her to come inside.

“Rey! Come in and take a seat. Help yourself to some coffee!” Leia smiled behind her desk. It was more of a catering table than an actual desk but somehow the respected woman managed to make anything seem professional and dignified. Luke was standing behind her, his arms crossed and a blank expression on his face while Kylo was already seated.

“Yes, it was…fine, I guess,” Rey replied, accepting the cup, “So…you wanted to see us both?” Leia smiled with some degree of pride.

“Cutting straight to the chase, I like that,” she said, “In case you two hadn’t guessed, this is about the live taping last night…” Rey winced, preparing to have the riot act read to her, “They loved it,”

“What?”

“The execs loved it! They said the chemistry you two have on screen was off the charts and the crowd obviously thought so too. Social media hasn’t stopped going on about it! That slap, the tension, it just all worked!”

Rey blinked dumbly, looking to Kylo who remained passive. Clearly, he was better at hiding his thoughts that she was.

“Don’t look so surprised Rey…” Leia grinned.

“Oh, no, it’s not that…it’s just…well, none of it was planned. I didn’t mean to slap him, I thought I was here to get a bollocking…” Leia laughed heartily, Luke smirking slightly.

“And what a slap it was!” she cried, “It’s about time someone did that,”

“Thanks, Mom…”

“Anyway, they’re keen to get you guys on screen as much as possible,” she continued, “Starkiller isn’t far away at all in the grand scheme of things and they want to use your chemistry to really build up the tension in this rivalry,” Kylo leaned forward on his knees with interest.

“Are you going to have us competing?” he said, “Intergender?” Leia shook her head.

“Not yet,” she explained, “You know as well as I do, to do this right, we need the build-up. I don’t want you two meeting in the ring at all until the big match. By the time Starkiller rolls around, the crowd will be begging for you two to get into it!”

Rey bit the inside of her cheek hard, hoping that the heat rising up her neck wasn’t showing, her body betraying every professional instinct she had. She took a large sip of the rapidly cooling beverage.

“So, do you guys think you can do that?” Kylo answered for them, smirking to himself that Rey had been rendered slightly speechless.

“I think it’s a great idea. Perfect angle,” he said, “Totally down,” Leia smiled proudly.

“You know, I think this is the first time you’ve ever agreed to a storyline without demanding some changes,” she commented, “Clearly you’re good for him Rey! Now, onto the next item on my list…how long have you two been sleeping together?”

Rey, forgetting that she hadn’t swallowed her coffee, gasped, the liquid hitting the back of her throat resulting in an undignified splutter. As she hastily wiped her mouth on her sleeve, Kylo’s eyes widened, the only sign that he was affected by his Mother’s question.

Leia sat serenely, patiently waiting for an answer.

“Umm…I…what makes you think that?” Rey asked awkwardly, her throat still rough from coughing. Leia smirked.

“Honey, I’ve been around a long time. Seen a lot of locker rooms. You don’t get chemistry like that unless there’s genuine hate or someone is fucking someone else,” she said plainly, “So, come on, how long?” Kylo scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“It’s…a new thing,” he said. Leia’s eyebrows rising in surprise.

“It’s a thing then?” she asked, “Is this more than just a bit of fun on the road?”

They had spoken about it in the comfort and privacy of his hotel room. Her friends all knew and if there was anyone at breakfast or listening in on the plane, they probably knew as well. So why did she feel like they were on trial?

“Look, I don’t mean to pry but from a business point of view…it would be helpful if I knew because then, if things go south, we’re prepared for the fallout,” Leia explained calmly.

It made sense. Rey had seen too many locker rooms divided by break-ups, friends taking sides resulting in awkward working situations. UCW was far too big a company to cater to the whims of two wrestlers, even if one was the heavyweight champion. Struggling to find her voice, Rey was caught off guard when Kylo reached for her hand.

“It’s a relationship, Mom,” he stated, “It’s new. It’s brand new, practically just out of the box but Rey is my girlfriend. Is that going to be a problem?” Leia shook her head.

“Not at all. I’m happy you, really I am,” she insisted, “All I ask is that the two of you stay professional when you’re at work, no matter what happens!”

“We will,” Rey said firmly, finally able to speak, “I promise,”

“Good!” Leia declared, “Alright lovebirds, I have some business to take care of so you two are free to go and I don’t want to hear about you two being caught in dark corners!”

Following Kylo’s lead, Rey stood, leaving the room and closing the door behind them. He turned to her in the empty corridor, taking in her goofy grin.

“What?” he asked with a confused smile. Rey giggled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You called me your girlfriend…”

“Are you not my girlfriend?” he asked, holding her against his body.

“So that makes you my boyfriend,” He nodded.

“I guess it does,” he grinned wolfishly, “But I think I prefer being your Daddy…”

He kissed her soundly, Rey playfully nipping at his bottom lip, causing him to groan lightly.

“Hmm. Well, we can’t touch on screen, but I promise I’ll meet you for some one on one later…Daddy,” Kylo whined, the noise making her stomach flip knowing she was the cause.

“Man, I wish I didn’t have to go,” he groaned, “but I’ll see you later,”

She kissed him goodbye once more, watching with a tilted head and bit lip as he walked away. God, she was in trouble with this one and knowing that _he_ was her boyfriend made her want to do a ridiculous dance in the solitude of the hall.

“Rey, can I speak with you?”

She jumped, not realizing that Luke had appeared behind her. Schooling her expression, she nodded, allowing him to lead her further down the corridor.

“You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” he accused, his tone dripping with disappointment. Rey scowled defensively.

“I’m sorry?”

“You went straight to the dark and you didn’t even try to stop yourself,” Luke scoffed, “And all for a pair of pretty eyes…”

“And why should I?” Rey snapped, anger boiling her blood, “You may be my trainer, but you don’t get a say in who I spend time within my personal life!”

“Don’t you get it? Wrestling life, personal life, it’s all the same thing!” he spat, “You know that as well as I do. Everything blends into one big mess and believe me, this is going to turn out to be a mess!”

“How dare you!” Rey growled, “I don’t care who you are, you don’t get to speak to me that way!”

“He’s _not_ a good man, Rey,” Luke snarled, “The second he thinks he can get ahead, or something better comes along. He’ll be gone. That’s what happened with Snoke, and it’s going to happen again,”

“You don’t _know_ him anymore,” Rey replied hotly, “You think he’s still the same trainee that you held back all those years and he’s not!”

“Oh really?” Luke smirked smugly, “And you know that for certain? Did he tell you about the argument then?”

Rey paused, closing her mouth abruptly. They had spoken about his family, about his parents and his childhood but he never actually mentioned the issue between him and Luke. Rey hadn’t thought to ask.

“That’s what I thought,” Luke said, “He was my student. He had only been on the circuit for less than a year when he thought he could play in the big leagues. He was arrogant, unruly and decided early on that the traditional ways weren’t good enough for him. You know there’s a hierarchy in wrestling, but he didn’t want to listen. The night we fought, I was an agent for a show in Chicago. He turned up late, swaggered into the dressing room with little regard for his partner that night…and in the end, he broke the guy's neck…because he thought he knew better,”

Rey stilled, swallowing heavily. Kylo could certainly be arrogant but unsafe? She’d never seen him disregard the safety of any of his opponents before but was that because of what happened?

“I don’t believe you,” she said quietly, her voice lacking conviction. Luke only stood there, smiling triumphantly.

“Well when you come to your senses, you know where I am,”

He turned from her, leaving Rey alone in the empty hall with only her tumultuous thoughts for company.

00000

Maintaining his usual indifferent expression was difficult as he headed into his locker room.

She was his girlfriend. It had felt so natural to say, the confession to his Mother slipping from his tongue. There was a connection there that he hadn’t felt before with another person. They spoke of their childhoods and it didn’t hurt, it didn’t feel like someone pressing down on a bruise, that dull ache it always caused. Instead, it was freeing. She didn’t judge him for his feelings, despite the fact that knowing her own background, he assumed she had every right to.

“Well look who it is!” Hux drawled sarcastically as he walked in, “You’ve finally gone and done it haven’t you? You dipped your pen in the company ink…”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kylo growled, approaching his things. Hux smirked as he pulled on his boots.

“Oh really? You’re going to play coy after you brazenly joined Rey and her little friends for breakfast this morning?” he quipped, “Everyone saw,”

“Ooh everyone saw me sitting at a table with 5 other people. God, tongues _will_ wag!” Kylo rolled his eyes, stripping his shirt and pulling on his trunks.

“Whatever. It’s fine, I’m more than happy to pick up your slack when the execs decide that you’re too preoccupied playing with your little girlfriend to do your damn job,” Kylo smirked at Hux smugly.

“Actually, the execs are thrilled with what went down. That slap you said made me look bad? Well, it just got us solid TV time right up until Starkiller and probably beyond,”

Hux balked, his lips curling in disbelief.

“You’re talking shit, Ren,” Kylo shrugged, pulling on his sweater over his gear.

“Believe what you like,” he said, “It’s happening regardless. See you out there, Hux!”

Hux growled at the man's back, his teeth clenching painfully in frustration. How was it even possible that Kylo would get more TV time? He was already the heavyweight champion, much to Hux’s disgust.

With a frustrated shout, he swung his fist, the knuckles denting the locker in front of him.

00000

Her feet felt heavy as she walked to the women’s locker room, Luke’s story weighing on her mind. Surely, he had to be wrong. Something felt off, like a piece of the puzzle was missing. Kylo could be arrogant, that fact wasn’t new to her but the idea that he would disregard someone’s safety to the point he broke their neck was unthinkable.

That kind of injury, being the one responsible, the way word spread in wrestling meant a reputation could be ruined in a matter of minutes. A few clicks, a single retweet, and a career could be over. The fact soon after he accepted Snoke’s offer and moved to Japan now seemed all the more suspect and it made Rey’s chest constrict painfully.

“There she is!” Phasma called cheerfully as Rey entered the room, “I hear congratulations are in order!” Rey sighed, wandering to her bag to begin changing.

“And why is that?” She asked without looking at the woman. Phasma smiled wider.

“You finally gave in to our illustrious champion among men,” she winked, “I can’t say I didn’t see it coming!”

Rey fought an eye roll, beginning the process of changing by pulling on her sports bra followed by her white and orange Resistance top.

“Listen, I’m not really in the mood right now…”

“Aw, what’s wrong poppet? Trouble in paradise already? Ooft and it’s only…24 hours in!”

“You’re very funny,” Rey growled, “Not that it’s anybody’s business…”

“Are you joking? The minute he sat down at your table it was everyone’s business,” Phasma quipped, “Or did you think you were sitting at some super-secret table that none of us could see?”

“Having breakfast together does not mean being together,” Rey snapped, her irritation growing when Phasma chuckled, “And there were four other people there!”

“Oh chicken, how naive you are,”

“Is there a point to this or are you just amusing yourself?” Rey grumbled.

“Mainly amusing myself,” Phasma shrugged, “But listen if you ever need someone to talk to…a comforting ear to confide in, I’m your girl!”

Rey nodded mutely. If there was anyone in the women’s locker room she was _not_ going to be confiding in, it was Phasma.

Changing as quickly as she could, her hair and make-up done, Rey made her way to the curtain for her call. That evening, Rose and Paige were going to be joining the Resistance on screen, which meant every member of both teams would be down at the ring for the night.

She stood stretching, rolling her neck and shoulders, knowing that the tension was coming from more than just her muscles. Honesty. She needed honesty and to talk to him but just before they were due on live television was not the best time for that kind of discussion.

“Hey,” he greeted with a warm smile. Despite her confusion, her stomach still fluttered seeing him in his ring gear, his muscular body on display and oiled up for the cameras. His smile faltered when he caught the wary look in her eyes. “Rey? Is everything okay?”

She nodded but her movement was cagey, hesitant, and he frowned deeply. Something had changed in the time they had spent apart, something that was causing a distance between them that put him on edge.

“Rey, baby, talk to me? What’s wrong?”

“It’s…it’s nothing,” she muttered, not meeting his eyes. Kylo rounded on her, trying to force her to look at him.

“No, something’s wrong…tell me,”

“Not now okay?” she stressed, “This isn’t the time…”

“I don’t care, you’re upset. Tell me what’s going on?” he insisted, his voice edged with worry, his brows knitted in confusion.

The music began.

“Resistance! You’re up!” A stagehand called, Rey’s head looking between the curtain and Kylo, her expression pained.

“Rey please…just talk to me…”

“Later,” she snapped, “We have work to do!”

He watched in helpless confusion as she pushed her way past the black fabric and out into the arena.


	13. To Professionalism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> As some of you know and have been reading, I have another WIP called Diamond Dogs. While I love writing it, it's been pretty tricky keeping an update schedule for two, especially when both stories are so different!
> 
> That being said, I'm now going to be concentrating on THIS story for the time being and the update schedule is NO MORE so I'll be updating basically whenever I want to. Those who know me, know that this will probably mean more updates per week when I can.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter, I've not really had the time to reply to all of them but know I have read them and I appreciate each and every one of them!
> 
> PD3 xx

[](https://imgur.com/VxbnHdd)

_Hello and welcome, everybody, you are joining us live at the Pepsi Centre here in Denver Colorado for another episode of Universal Championship Wrestling! We have a jam-packed show for you this evening and we’re kicking things off with tag team action!_

Focus. She had to focus. The 18,000 strong crowd didn’t care what drama was happening backstage, they want to see their favorite characters do what they did best. The fans roared to life as the Resistance made their way down the ramp, bright orange and white lights flashing in time to the music. Even though her mind felt a million miles away, Rey kept reminding herself that once she was through the curtain, the worries of Rey Jackson didn’t matter. She was Rey J Kenobi and she had other issues to deal with.

That’s what wrestling was all about, forgetting the real world, even for just a moment.

_The following contest is an intergender tag team match set for one fall. Making their way to the ring, accompanied by The Resistance, Finn Storm and Rey J Kenobi!_

Jumping onto the turnbuckle she waved to the crowd, smiling brightly as all good babyface characters should. The expression felt foreign on her face, her mind still reeling. Seeing so many people smiling back at her, holding up signs and wearing their merchandise helped her enthusiasm.

_And their opponents, making their way to the ring, accompanied by The First Order, one-half of the UCW tag team champions, Arm Hux and the UCW Women’s champion, Phasma!_

The darker, ominous guitar riff of the First Order’s music began, the tone of the arena changing as the crowd turned vicious, booing and screaming at the figures making their way down the ramp flooded in red lighting. Hux and Phasma emerged first, their smug, arrogant smiles only riling the crowd further. Mitaka followed, but all Rey could see was Kylo, marching out last with his championship belt around his waist.

_Kylo Ren hasn’t taken his eyes off Rey J Kenobi since he appeared at the top of the ramp. No doubt still stinging from that hellacious slap she gave him the other night!_

It was all very well saying she was a different person in the ring, it was another trying to maintain that persona when he was staring at her intently with those dark eyes, burning with questions that demanded answers. To any outsider, Rey hoped it simply looked like they were playing their parts, but she knew the truth and it was making it harder to focus.

_It’s going to be Phasma and Rey kicking off this intergender tag team match!_

Rey and Phasma circled one another, locking up in the center of the ring. As planned, Phasma being the far larger of the two women, she pushed Rey off to her back, landing with a thud and rolling to her feet in the corner of the ring.

_This Phasma has been such a dominant force in the UCW women’s division since joining, using her strength to manhandle Rey across the ring._

Rey remained in the corner, goading Phasma into charging at her so she could leap over the woman, landing to sit on her back as she rolled through her legs into a sunset flip. The referee counted one, Phasma easily kicking out.

_That’s what Rey has to do, use her quickness and agility to get the better of her larger opponents! Rey now with some beautiful arm drag takedowns and finishing her with a standing dropkick!_

Kylo watched from his corner, pacing the floor as he did while Mitaka took on the more vocal role at ringside. Something had changed between them in the few hours they had been separated but what? He had thought after their night together, after their open and honest talks that she was past believing any rumors that she might have been told, or at least that she would talk to him first before jumping to conclusions.

_Phasma makes the tag to Hux who is in with Rey J. Remember folks it’s intergender rules, this is all legal!_

The crowd screamed, willing for Rey to crack Hux the same way she had done to Kylo. He postured in front of her, swaggering haughtily.

“What are you gonna do huh?” he goaded, “Come on, you gonna hit me too?”

Hux grabbed Rey’s wrists, shouting at her to do something as he shook her, his grip so tight that she winced. It was all part of the match, but his handling was rough. Far more than it should have been. Kylo scowled darkly, unable to keep his face from twisting with anger.

Rey tugged and fought against the man, her teeth bared as she growled at him while Finn screamed from the apron of the ring. He had both her hands. There was no way she could slap him, and he was keeping her at such a distance, her kicks wouldn’t be effective. He was trying to go off script.

_Oh my God! Rey J Kenobi with a headbutt straight to the face of Hux!_

If Hux could go off script then so could she. Her forehead throbbed but she was sure it didn’t hurt nearly as much as Hux did, reeling back as Rey stumbled to tag in Finn, her partner running into the ring to pepper Hux with punches. Rey rubbed the point of impact, hoping there wouldn’t be a bruise and trying to ignore the heated look Kylo was giving her across the ring.

18,000 people and he was still the only person she could see.

_Finn Storm fighting back now, landing a vicious kick to the mid-section and a beautiful DDT!_

Her hand outstretched, the crowd cheering Finn on as he crawled towards Rey to make the tag. Carefully, she placed her foot slightly back, just enough so that Mitaka could grab her ankle as they had discussed.

But she wasn’t looking at Finn. She was still staring at Kylo, her heart beating frantically. Her distraction meant the pull of Mitaka grabbing her foot caught her off guard and instead of timing her jump, she was literally pulled to the floor, landing with a hard thud on the reinforced rubber.

_The First Order playing dirty, surely that’s a disqualification! And here comes The Resistance, they’ve seen enough!_

Poe and Snap jumped into the ring, the bell sounding wildly as the referee called for the disqualification, Mitaka joining Hux and Phasma in the ring, hammering with wild blows to Poe, Finn, and Snap. Kylo remained on the outside, his head turning between the brawl in the ring and Rey still lying on the ground.

_Kylo Ren seems reluctant to get involved in the fray…he seems more concerned with the well being of Rey J Kenobi…_

He clenched his jaw. They were live in front of thousands of people and being broadcast around the world. The First Order and The Resistance were opposing factions and he if messed up the biggest storyline of the year he was sure to get hauled into Snoke’s office. Gritting his teeth, he turned away, jumping in the ring as Rose and Paige thundered down the ramp, security at their heels.

_What’s this?! It’s Rose and Paige, the Tico sisters coming to the aid of the Resistance. You can bet they haven’t forgotten the assault from Hux all those weeks ago!_

The odds tipped in their favor, The First Order members were thrown to the outside but worked to scramble their way back, security doing their best to haul the two rival teams apart.

_Things have broken down here at ringside between The First Order and The Resistance! We need more security out here, someone contain these people!_

Just when Rey didn’t think the crowd could get any louder, the applause the Resistance received for their entrance paled in comparison to the reception for Leia Organa, the General Manager of UCW. Walking out to the top of the ramp, microphone in hand, she smiled enigmatically to the people, all cheering, some bowing in sheer reverence of the living legend.

“First Order, you just can’t seem to play by the rules, can you?” she drawled, “So since you all can’t seem to leave each other alone, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do…At Starkiller, it’s going to be The Resistance versus The First Order in a 4 on 4 elimination tag team match!”

The First Order screamed and shouted their objections, Hux turning an unsavory color of pink despite the fact he knew the storyline. Leia turned to leave but stopped herself.

“Oh, and before I forget, just so you know I’m serious…the UCW Tag Team and Women’s championship will be on the line. The winning team takes the titles… _both_ of them!”

They had the crowd eating out the palms of their hands, every wrestler in the ring and on the floor playing their parts to perfection. She should have been elated with the performance. Starkiller was now set in motion, but as she was helped up the ramp by a referee, all that her mind could focus on was the uncomfortable series of conversations she was about to have with the man who hadn’t taken his eyes off her.

00000

Her back was killing her. Whatever way she had landed on the ground, it was hardly graceful and certainly not as safe as it was planned to be. Knowing it was better to check, Rey had already decided to head to the trainer’s room as she pushed her way back through the curtain.

“Hey, are you alright?”

The minute she was backstage, she was met with Kylo’s anxious face, staring down at her in concern. She smiled weakly at him. There was so much they had to talk about, that she needed to hear directly from him but for now, she just wanted some painkillers and to be told her spine was still in the right position.

“Um, yeah, I think so,” she dismissed, “Just a bit of a rough landing. I’m going to the trainer’s room,”

“I’ll take you,” he answered almost immediately, giving Rey no time to decline his offer, “Then you can tell me what’s wrong,”

“Ben…”

He stopped them, holding her shoulders firmly.

“Rey, please…I need to know what happened that caused you to look at me that way,” he pleaded, “I can’t stand it, not from you,”

Rey sighed. How could she deny him anything when his dark, cedarwood tinged eyes were looking at her like that? What’s more, she _wanted_ to fix things. She didn’t want this dark cloud hanging over them when they had only just begun. Looking around, she grabbed his hand, marching towards an unused room and pulling him inside, turning the lock behind them.

They found themselves in a tiny storage unit, a row of selves housing all manner of random lighting equipment against one wall and smaller still in comparison to Kylo’s large body, all illuminated by a single hanging light bulb. Kylo leaned against the back wall, his arms crossed, and Rey took a deep breath.

“Don’t get mad, okay?” she started carefully. Kylo’s eyebrow rose suspiciously.

“Don’t tell me something that’s going to make me mad,” he replied, matching her tone.

“After the meeting with Leia, Luke came to me,”

Immediately Kylo’s eyes darkened, his jaw clenching as his mouth worked in frustration. She could practically see the tension rippling through the muscles in his chest and shoulders, even in the dull light of the room.

“Of course, he did,” Kylo scoffed bitterly, “Go on then, I suppose he told you all about me…”

“I didn’t say I believed him!” Rey defended, “I wanted to speak to you first, but we obviously haven’t exactly had the chance! He…he told me that you broke someone’s neck because of negligence in the ring. Is it true?”

Kylo regarded her carefully, his whole body coiled like a spring, when suddenly he sighed, his arms dropping to his sides and his shoulders sagging in defeat. He rubbed his hands over his face pensively.

“It is true,” he admitted quietly, “But it’s not what you think. It’s not that way Luke made it out to be,”

Rey nodded, listening to him intently as she moved closer to him, reaching out to stroke his arm.

“Then tell me what happened,”

“Luke and I hadn’t been getting along for a while. We had a lot of arguments about his training, how I wanted to branch out and at least _try_ some different styles, but he was having none of it. He was my agent for a show in Chicago and when he told me about the match, he asked if I would do this package piledriver for the finish. The dude I was working was big, even against me and I didn’t want to, but he insisted and…he was my trainer, y’know? The guy agreed to take it but he slipped out of my grip…it was just a freak accident, you have to believe me! I’d never do that to someone on purpose!”

Rey was quiet, the silence hanging over them like a shroud while she thought over his words. Luke had made it seem so much darker and for the briefest moment, Rey had been ashamed to admit that there might have been a shred of truth to his story, but now, seeing the naked vulnerability in his eyes, his voice, begging her to listen to him, she knew that he was being nothing but sincere.

“Okay, I believe you,”

“You do?” he asked warily, the suspicion in his eyes breaking her heart.

“Yes, I do,” she repeated, “What happened afterwards?”

“After? The guy was alright, he made a full recovery. He didn’t even blame me but Luke? Luke blamed me, called me for everything and I knew I couldn’t stay. The next week, I took up Snoke’s offer of sponsorship, changed my in-ring name and I moved to Japan. While I was out there I mended some fences with my Mom and, for her, Luke and I are civil, but it’ll never be as it was,”

Rey felt at a loss for words, her mouth opening and closing uselessly. Saying she was sorry felt so small, like she could repeat the word over and over and it still wouldn’t have the impact it needed. She had never injured someone like that before, even by accident and the idea made her feel ill. For him to leave the country, to cut off ties with his family, the guilt must have been overwhelming.

Instead, she stood on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck and she kissed him. Gently at first but as his hands slid down her bare back, pulling her flush against the naked skin of his chest, she moaned, the sound spurring them on. Her tongue traced his full, bottom lip, her hands ending up in his long, still damp hair.

“I’m not what Luke says I am,” he whispered, breathlessly leaning his forehead on hers, “I’m not what any of them say I am,”

“I know you’re not,” Rey promised, “you’re mine,”

Of all the things he had done in his past that he wasn’t proud of, and they were plentiful, leaving the way he had was the most acute. It had almost ended his career before it began. Hearing things the way she had from Luke, Kylo was sure how his Uncle would have made it sound and he couldn’t blame her for her uncertainty.

He’d expected her to look at him in disgust, to demand an explanation but instead, she listened to him and accepted that even though it happened, and he played a part in the situation, it wasn’t what it appeared. She believed him, he was hers, and that meant more to him than any championship title.

Speechless, he pulled her into a bruising kiss, her mouth immediately submitting to him as he pulled her against his body, her fingers gripping the muscles of his shoulders. Lost to each other, forgetting their surroundings, her leg wrapped over his, grinding against him with a quiet groan. He was already painfully hard for her, the outline of his cock evident through the fabric of his trunks. Rey smiled against his lips.

Even pressed against him, she wasn’t close enough. Grabbing her thighs, he hauled her off her feet, her legs immediately wrapping around his waist as he proceeded to kiss her, his lips traveling along her jaw and neck, tongue swirling against her pulse.

“Fuck, baby…” she whispered, her hips grinding against him, “There are people right outside…”

“Then you’ll just have to be nice and quiet then, sweetheart,” he smiled playfully, pressing her against the back wall, “If you don’t want to…”

“Oh, I didn’t say that…Daddy,”

“You’re going to be the death of me, I swear to Christ!” he moaned, gripping her shorts and pulling them from her body, holding her tightly so she could release a leg and free herself from the fabric. Quickly, he pulled his own trunks away, biting his lip hard as he felt her soaked center grinding against him.

“You ready for me, baby?” he asked innocently, rubbing his swollen head through her cunt, “You ready to take Daddy’s cock?”

Nodding frantically, a flush creeping over her cheeks, he entered her with one swift thrust, quickly covering her mouth with his hand to stifle the loud moan that she couldn’t prevent. Kylo bit his lip himself, feeling her hot, tight walls pulse around him as he thrust up into her, one hand still holding her ass as he braced her against the wall.

“Gotta be quieter than that baby,” he whispered, her legs tightening around his hips.

Over the muffled sounds of their tryst, the handle to the door rattled loudly, someone on the other side pulling at the lock. Kylo froze, his hand still over Rey’s mouth as he held his own breath.

“Damn, who locked this door?” they heard someone call from the other side, “Has anyone got the key?”

Rey’s eyes widened, Kylo removing his hand, pressing his index finger to his own lips in a silent sign that she had to stay quiet. Smirking, his hand left his mouth to find where they were joined, the pad of his thumb circling her sensitive clit, enjoying watching her fall apart under his hands.

“Oh, come on! Someone has to have a key?!”

Her head tipped forward to his shoulder, panting as quietly as she could as he began to move again, thrusting up into her with sharp, deep movements while his fingers continued to work.

“That’s it baby,” he whispered in her ear, his breath hot on her skin, “Give Daddy what he wants,”

It was debauched, hedonistic and knowing they could be caught at any moment did nothing but spur Rey on, her teeth sinking into the meat of his shoulder as she shuddered around him, her thighs clenching tightly as he fucked her through her orgasm, pushing to the hilt as his own climax hit.

“Fuck it, just get the stuff from storage room C!”

Sated, Rey felt like her limbs were made of jelly, Kylo still holding her up as he kissed her gently, both laughing under their breath.

“If this is going to work, we need to be honest. We need to talk to each other okay?” Rey said gently. Kylo nodded, his nose stroking her cheek.

“Agreed,” he sighed, “Thank you,” gently as he could, he placed her back on the ground, helping her pull her shorts back on as he fixed his own trunks.

“For what?”

“For believing me,”

“Of course, I believe you,” she said, “I…”

_I think I love you_

It was right there on the tip of her tongue, three little words that she wasn’t ready to say out loud. Months of butting heads and passing sarcastic remarks, of almost unbearable sexual tension and a relationship that was only literally established days before. The storage room of an arena where he’d just fucked her, in gear, against a wall was hardly the most romantic setting for that kind of confession.

“I know you wouldn’t lie to me,” she settled, brushing some of his messy hair out of his eyes. He kissed her softly, his whole demeanor relaxed.

Cautiously, Rey unlocked the door, opening it a crack to check the hallway before she left. Clear. Kylo stepped out behind her, smirking to himself. She didn’t look _too_ disheveled. Nothing that couldn’t be explained with wrestling at least. Taking a step, Rey winced slightly, feeling the pull along her spine.

“Oh shit, your back!” Kylo groaned, his face apologetic and pained, “Fuck, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. Nothing that can’t be fixed with physio,” Rey dismissed, grabbing his hand to pull around her shoulder as they slowly walked down the hall together.

“When we get back to the hotel, I’ll help stretch you out,” Rey snorted inelegantly, Kylo chuckling along with her realizing what he said.

“I’ll bet you will,” she winked, “So, are we okay?” He pressed a kiss to her temple, giving her shoulder a squeeze to pull her closer to him.

“We’re fucking perfect,”

They continued their stroll towards the locker rooms, passing by the catering tables where most of the crew and wrestlers were. Most paid them no more than a cursory glance, some a curious look but the only person Rey paid any attention to was Luke, standing there with his coffee and a grave expression, his lip curling at the sight.

Stopping, Rey boldly approached the older man, her head held high while Kylo waited a few paces behind, his arms folded across his chest.

“Thank you for the lessons, Luke,” she said coolly, “But I won’t be needing them anymore,”

“I hope you know what you’re doing kid,”

“You seem to be under the impression that we wouldn’t actually talk about this,” she snapped, “We did and I know what part you played. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Speechless, Luke watched Rey turn from him, returning to Kylo, his arm draping over her shoulder possessively with a triumphant smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In wrestling, an Agent is someone who is in charge of helping plan the match, mainly the finish to make sure that all the matches on the show are different and nobody repeats moves. This mainly happens on larger shows and companies. They can tell you what moves to use.
> 
> A package piledirver is a move where you have hold of both your opponents arms so when you go to hit said piledriver they have nothing but you to protect their head. It requires a lot of trust!


	14. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a twitter account! I mean, I've always had one but this is specifically a Polkadotdotdot twitter account  
> Go ahead and follow at @PD3Reylo :D
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely comments. I am slowly catching up with replying to them but I DO read them and I do gush incoherently about them!

[](https://imgur.com/1wA54Ak)

The thing about being on the road was that people on tour tended to end up in a bubble. You were surrounded by the same people day in, day out, all working together, traveling together, discussing the same things. As a result, the world outside of the tour, real life, tended to take a back seat and returning to so-called real life wasn’t always pleasant.

This was all Rey could think of on their final flight back to New York. Since declaring their intentions, since Luke’s bombshell and her subsequent departure from his training, Rey and Kylo had spent most of their time together, either alone, or with some of her friends. Finn and Rose had acted the way friends should, doing their best to include Kylo in their conversations and it warmed Rey’s heart to see them trying so hard for her.

“You know, he’s actually not as much of a buzz kill as he acts sometimes,” Finn had commented to her, “He’s actually kinda fun,”

“I told you he wasn’t an arsehole,”

“Oh no, he’s still an asshole…now he just smiles more and directs it towards the right people,”

Since their altercation in the ring, Hux had avoided Rey like his life depended on it. A day later, Rey discovered through word of mouth that there was a good chance Hux’s life _did_ depend on his distance from her. Allegedly, Kylo had punched the man in the face, telling him if he ever put his hands on Rey again in a manner Kylo didn’t like, he’d get more than a single hit. Rey hadn’t believed the rumors until she had seen Hux sporting a nasty looking bruise.

She’d always protested that the alpha male mentality did nothing for her, that she was a strong woman who didn’t need a man fighting her battles for her. Her body had a very different response and nothing stopped her from dragging him back to her hotel room to show her appreciation for the gesture personally.

It wasn’t that Paige and Poe hadn’t been supportive, but a lot of the time the pair were off alone together and it baffled Rey that she was the only one who knew why. To her, it was clear as day that they were making excuses, but Finn and Rose seemed to be none the wiser. It wasn’t her business and she had her own love life to take care of.

Now that they were home, how would it all work? He said he wanted to be with her, that she was his girlfriend, but she couldn’t seem to shut up the little voice in the back of her mind that told her she wasn’t what he wanted, that she was just a novelty and now he’d had her, that novelty was going to wear off. Shaking her head, she firmly told the voice to shut the hell up.

In the space of a week, they’d hooked up, fallen into a relationship, told each other all about their less than stellar childhoods and even worked through what could have become a major drama. Oh, and slept together every night since. It all had to mean something, right?

Grabbing her suitcase from the carousel, her prayer to the luggage gods being answered, Rey wandered through to the arrivals of JFK airport.

“Oh my God, how sweet is that?” Rose gushed, pointing to the sight in front of them. Rey paled.

Jessika was standing there, a huge smile lighting up her face as she waved to Poe. From the corner of her eye, Rey watched Paige, the smile on her face tight and false. Anger washed over her, watching her friend embrace his girlfriend in front of the older Tico sister.

“Yeah…real adorable…”

_Selfish motherfuc…_

“Hey, what’s that face for?” Rey turned away from the scene to look at Kylo as he approached, her eyes taking in his figure clad in tight dark jeans and a black tee, a smitten smile appearing on her face. He looked up, the penny dropping, “Ah…I see. I take it he still hasn’t…”

“Nope. I wonder if I should tell her…or at least talk to Paige,”

“Sweetheart, do you really want to get yourself involved in that mess?” Kylo asked, “Cause when that blows up, and it will, it’s going to be one hell of a disaster,” Rey sighed.

“I know. It just makes me so mad!” She grumbled, “Look at him! He doesn’t give a fuck!”

In spite of the situation, Kylo smiled affectionately, Rey frowning in confusion at the expression.

“What?”

“You’re so cute when you’re mad,” he grinned, “What are your plans now?”

“I was just going to get a cab back to my place,” Rey said, checking her watch, “It’s still pretty early. Unpack my case, maybe get a nap…order in some food…”

“Or…you could, I dunno, you could come over to my place…if you wanted I mean,” he said nervously, “You don’t have to, If you want a night to yourself I get it…I can just call you later…”

“I’d love to!” She answered, smiling brightly at the bashful man in front of her, looking more like an awkward teenager than a world heavyweight champion.

“You do? Oh, great! Ah…that’s great,” he stammered, “So, how’d do you want to…”

“How about we share a cab to my place, I can drop my bags and grab a few things then we’ll go to your place?” she said, putting an increasingly edgy Kylo out of his misery. He smiled, his whole body visibly relaxing.

“Sounds perfect. Here, let me take that,” he said, grabbing hold of her bag as they began to walk towards the cab stand.

“You really don’t have to…” She began to protest but Kylo cut her off.

“What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you carry your own bag huh? I know your back is still hurting,” Rey smiled, knowing full well the expression bordered on goofy.

“There’s that word again…” she giggled, “I think I like having a boyfriend,”

“Well that’s a relief,” he quipped, “Otherwise what would I do with my ‘Rey’s boyfriend’ shirt that I got printed especially?”

“You’re such a dork,”

Holding onto his bicep, the same giddy smile on her face, they headed out of the main doors to hail a cab.

00000

The car pulled up outside her building, Kylo handing money to the driver as they got out.

Looking up and down the street, he nodded to himself as he perused the initial area she called home. Hick Street was one of the nicer parts of Brooklyn, a short walk away from Clark Street subway station with views of the Brooklyn Bridge. The building they stood in front of looked old, steep stone steps leading up to a large wooden blue door surrounded by red brick.

“I hope your cardio is up to scratch,” she teased, “I’m on the second to last floor,”

He dutifully followed her, carrying both their bags as he did until they stopped for her to unlock her door, first the large wooden storm door, followed by a second with glass panels.

_Two doors. Okay, at least that’s safe._

“It’s probably not as big as your used to…” she muttered as they walked in, “Just leave the bag wherever,”

Rey had never felt ashamed of her apartment. It was hers. She had worked for her studio, saved and made it her own, but then, she had never once invited a guy into her private space before. Kylo smiled, putting the cases down as he wandered further inside.

The whole place was painted a deep teal green, a kitchenette in one corner of the room. There was a large double bed, still unmade from the last time she had slept there, with a sofa at the end creating a small living area with a TV. Large windows opened out onto the fire escape, tiny paper lanterns hanging on the railings, blowing in the breeze. The walls were adorned with vintage wrestling posters, a collage of photos stuck all over the front of her refrigerator from her indie touring days.

“I like your place,” he said sincerely. Rey shrugged flippantly, grabbing her case and throwing it on the bed, Kylo watching on in amusement as she began to pull her clothes out, throwing the dirty garments on the flood.

“It’s not much,” she said, “But it’s what I could afford at the time…”

“No, really, I do!” he insisted, “It’s a hell of a lot homier than mine,”

“By homey you mean small,” Rey smirked, bundling up her dirty laundry and throwing it in the nearby basket.

“No, I mean homey. Cozy. You know, I look around here and it’s obvious that it’s your place, that you live here,” he said, “Back at my place…well, you’ll see what I mean,”

Rey smiled at him gently, watching him absently wander around, examining her space with curiosity. His large body made the studio seem that much smaller, but there was something comforting about watching him make himself at home. It was making the nagging voice of insecurity in the back of her head that much harder to hear.

Grabbing her behind the waist, he pulled her to the bed with him, Rey draped over his body as she giggled above him.

“So, you really like my place? You’re not just saying that to keep me happy right?” Kylo nodded, absently playing with a lock of her hair.

“While I would say almost anything to keep you happy, I do genuinely like your place. I can definitely picture us fucking on this bed,” he grinned, playfully biting his lip as she blushed.

“We could do that but we’d never make it back to your apartment,” she reasoned, her breath catching as he stretched forward, kissing the column of her throat, “Ben…”

“What?” he asked innocently, his hand stroking over the curve of her backside. She sighed happily, squealing as his teeth nipped her skin.

“Come on, I thought you needed to go back to your place!”

“It isn’t going anywhere…”

“Ben!”

“Alright!” he grumbled, reluctantly pulling his lips away from her neck to look up at her petulantly, “Tell you what, sit up…” he commanded, Rey shifting from his body, so he could stand in front of her. He shoved his hand into his jeans pocket, pulling out a dime, “We’ll flip a coin,”

“Flip a coin?”

“Yes,” he nodded, “Heads we stay here, and you immediately get those clothes off…tails we get a cab back to my place,”

Rey pulled her legs under her to sit up on the bed, rolling her eyes in good humor. The voice was still there, high pitched and whining that the real reason he wanted to stay was that he was trying to keep her at arm’s length.

“Ben, are you sure you want me to come over? I know you asked but, if you’re having second thoughts…”

Ben frowned, the coin being passed between his fingers stilling. He shoved the coin back in his pocket, crouching down in front of the bed to meet her eyes.

“Rey? Remember what you said about talking to each other? This might be a good time for that communication thing,” he smiled, “So come on, talk to me,”

“It’s so dumb,” she moaned, covering her face with her hands. Reaching forward he gently held her wrists, pulling her hands away so he could look at her.

“I don’t care if you think it’s dumb. Tell me,”

“Being home is so different from being on the road. How do you know that you’re not going to get bored of me…”

Kylo blinked at her in disbelief at what he was hearing, his head tilting as he stared at her incredulously. Of all the things he’d expected to hear, the fact she was worried he’d become bored of her was not one of them. He moved his hands from her wrists, interlocking his fingers with hers.

“Bored? Why would you think that?”

Rey shrugged awkwardly. That was just how it had always gone. She’d meet a guy and it would be fine for a few weeks but eventually, it always ended up the same way. If he was a wrestler, something better came along, normally in the form of a ring rat who was easier to kick out of bed the next day, and if he wasn’t? They’d get bored of the fact she was never around.

“I don’t know,” she muttered uncomfortably, knowing that it was her insecurity speaking over her logic, “You could have anyone you wanted…”

“Yeah and I want you,” he insisted with burning sincerity, “Because…”

_Because I think I love you…_

He wanted to say it. He had suspected it from the moment she had screamed at him outside Luke’s training room, all 5’6” of her glaring up at him in defiance with fire in her hazel eyes. Her words had been cutting but he had never felt so alive. Telling her now, a week into their relationship, even after everything, it wasn’t too much to him but for her? He had to be sure she would believe him. Biting his tongue, he swallowed back the response in favor of something sane.

“Because you’re you,” he said, “And wherever you are…on the road, this apartment, my apartment, it doesn’t matter. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be, okay?”

“Okay…” she smiled shyly, avoiding his gaze.

“Okay?” he drawled playfully, elongating his words and pulling her down from the bed by her hands into his waiting arms, kissing her softly, her arms wrapping around his neck.

“Okay!” she giggled, his beard scratching against her skin, “I believe you!” He grinned proudly.

“Come on, grab your things and let’s get a cab,”

00000

There was no easy way to travel in New York City.

Almost an hour in traffic and eventually their cab pulled up outside Kylo’s building, Rey’s jaw hanging slack as she gazed up at the pale stonework, the beautiful revolving door entranceway, covered by a canopy.

“You didn’t tell me you lived on Park Avenue!” she said, her eyes still wide. Kylo nodded bashfully.

“Didn’t I say that?” he muttered, grabbing their bags and ushering her into the building, a smartly dressed man at the front nodding to them in greeting.

“Hello, Mr. Solo,”

“Hi, Daniel,”

“Holy shit, you have a _door guy_?!” Rey hissed as he led her towards the elevator, pressing the button for the penthouse.

“I do indeed have a door guy,” Kylo agreed, “Daniel. He’s nice,”

“Okay, so you’re basically loaded…”

“If by that you mean I worked hard, and I looked after my money well…”

“Aren’t successful wrestlers supposed to have blown all their money on cocaine and strippers?” She teased, Kylo pinching her side playfully as she laughed.

“More like pizza and Playstation if you’re me…”

“Don’t lie to me…abs like that? You don’t eat pizza…”

The elevator opened to reveal a short hallway with polished wooden floors and clean white walls, leading to a large set of double oak doors. Kylo pulled out his keys, turning the lock and throwing them open.

“Jesus. Fucking. Christ…”

Rey wandered inside, her mouth flapping as she stared at the inside of his apartment. She had never seen so much light in a home in all her life, the floor to ceiling windows illuminating the space. His living room was huge leading off to an open plan kitchen sectioned off with a breakfast bar. Ahead was a staircase leading towards what she assumed was the master bed and bath while to her left past the kitchen was a hallway.

_More bedrooms? Storage? Dungeon?!_

“Ben…this place is _insane_!” She gushed, “This is all yours?” He nodded, dropping their bags and closing the door behind him.

“Yeah, I moved in about a year ago,” he said, “I mean, I’m never really here…for all the time I spend it may as well be an expensive hotel!”

Suddenly everything he had been saying about her home now made sense, the puzzle clicking. Sure, his apartment was beautiful, not a thing was out of place and that was the problem. It was almost _too_ perfect. There was nothing personal. No pictures of family, nothing that hinted of likes or hobbies. She’d expected to see something of his wrestling career but so far there was nothing.

“No Kylo Ren merchandise?” she asked, walking down the shallow stairs to the sunken living room. Kylo nodded.

“There is. I keep all of that stuff in my office just down there,” he said, pointing towards the hall.

Rey continued her wandering, her hand brushing over the dark marble counter of the breakfast bar until she reached a phone hanging on the wall, a smirk playing on her lips.

“An answering machine? How very retro of you!” she laughed. It wasn’t retro at all. It was less of a phone and more a digital panel on the wall with more buttons than she cared to try and work out. Ben rolled his eyes, joining her near the device.

“Yeah, yeah…what can I say, I’m an old school kinda guy,” he said, hitting one of the flashing buttons. The message began, playing throughout the speaker system in the kitchen.

_“Hey Ben, it’s your Dad. I’m thinking I’ll be in town pretty soon and…”_

Abruptly, the message stopped, Kylo’s hand slamming down on the panel causing Rey to jump.

“So that was your Dad?” she asked quietly. Kylo nodded.

“Uh…yeah,” he replied awkwardly, “You hungry? I can call in for something…”

“While I applaud your masterful attempt at changing the subject…what’s wrong?”

“Look, I don’t really want to get into it,” he sighed, “I mended fences with my Mom but my Dad is kind of a different story. Now I’ve got you here, in my house, looking _so_ pretty…can we please not talk about this now?” he asked, his back curving down to meet her with pleading eyes.

“Hmm. Flattery will get you everywhere,” she smiled, kissing him sweetly, “Alright, I’ll drop it…for now,”

“Thank you,” he said, “Now…I suppose I should give you the tour!”

Shrieking with laughter, Rey found herself thrown over his shoulder as if she was no more than a duffel bag, hanging over his large back as his arms firmly held her thighs in place.

“So, you’ve already seen the kitchen and the living room,” he said lightly, walking them towards the glass doors towards his balcony, “I won’t take you out there over my shoulder because if I drop you I’ll be jailed for manslaughter…”

“Ben! Put me down, you dork!”

“If all passengers could remain quiet until the end of the tour!” he chuckled, walking them back into the house and down the hall, “Spare bedrooms, shower room, that’s my office at the end there and back this way…” He jogged with her like she weighed nothing, Rey bouncing with the motion as he ran up the staircase.

“I’m going to be seasick!”

“And _this_ is the master suite!”

Gasping for breath, holding her stomach from laughter, Rey found herself tossed unceremoniously back onto the soft sheets of a huge bed, her phone falling from her pocket and bouncing along the plush carpeted floor. Kylo landed over of her, his weight supported on his hands and knees.

“Thank you for traveling Solo,” he joked, “We hope you enjoyed your journey…”

“Your apartment is amazing,” Rey confirmed, “I’m privileged to be one of the lucky few…”

“Only,” he said suddenly, Rey’s mouth snapping shut.

“Pardon?”

“You’re the only girl I’ve ever brought up here…” he said quietly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Rey stared up at him in disbelief from her place below him on the bed, her stomach fluttering.

“But…really?” she asked, “You’re not just saying that?” he shook his head sharply.

“I’m telling you the God’s truth. You’re the only girl I’ve ever brought back to my apartment!” he said sincerely, “If I did hook up, it was either at their place or at a hotel,”

“How is that possible? Have you seen you?!” she cried, the blush on his cheeks intensifying. Kylo shrugged bashfully.

“I told you before, I’m not really that kind of guy and girls I have had one night stands with…how do I say this without sounding like a jerk?”

“Just say it…” Kylo groaned, his nose wrinkling.

“Alright. I didn’t want those girls hanging around my place. I wanted…a quick exit,”

The idea that a guy would want to sleep with a girl then rush away without a second thought should have horrified her. What about the girl? What about her feelings and needs? Wouldn’t she feel used? But then the memories of the few one night stands she’d had appeared in her mind and suddenly, she got it. It might have seemed petty to some, but the idea that she was the only one he had ever brought home made her feel so special the little voice in the back of her mind may as well have packed up and shipped out.

_Take THAT insecurity!_

“So, what makes me so special then huh?” she teased, “I made it where other girls failed,”

“Because you’re you,” he said, “Now, as much as I just _love_ talking about other girls who aren’t important at all…I think we should get down to some other items on the agenda…”

“And what might they b-oh my God…”

Her wry sentence was suddenly rendered incoherent as his lips found her throat, his fingers locking with hers to pin her hands down on the bed. Groaning, she rolled her hips upwards, feeling his solid member straining against her through the fabric of his jeans. The house may have been beautiful, but it was a blur now he was on top of her, one of his hands releasing her to snake up the inside of her shirt, palming her breasts as her nails gripped his shoulders.

Growling under his breath, he grabbed the hem of his shirt, sitting up so they could both frantically strip their clothes. His hands had just released the fly of his jeans, Rey lying back in her underwear when the phone lying on the floor began to buzz, the shrill ringtone echoing around the room.

“Leave it…” he muttered, pulling at the catch on her bra, nibbling her earlobe. Rey groaned in frustration.

“It’ll just keep ringing,”

“Not if I throw it over the balcony…”

“Ben…” She kissed him hard, her teeth catching his lower lip provoking a groan from him, “I will answer and then I promise I will be right back here…and I hope Daddy is naked by the time I do,”

“Death. Of. Me. I swear, sweetheart!” he moaned, kicking off his sneakers and jeans as she jumped from the bed, grabbing her phone and pressing the answer button.

“Hello? Oh, Paige…hi…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a transitional chapter, we're heading into fluff territory before Starkiller!


	15. A Simple Training Exercise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to another update.
> 
> This one is smuttastic but there is plot sprinkled in here...somewhere...you'll find it I'm sure ;)

[](https://imgur.com/xscRJXa)

It was still early when Rey woke.

The sun had barely begun to rise above the city, streaking the sky with a warm glow of orange and yellow through the patches of light cloud, the light streaming in through the large windows of Kylo’s bedroom.

As she usually did so early, Rey found herself caged inside Kylo’s arms, her naked back pressed against his warm chest. She smiled lazily, feeling little puffs of air from his slack mouth dance over her neck as he slept. Her whole body felt heavy and sated, but an ache had begun to settle in her hips and lower back, the need to stretch outweighing the want to stay in bed.

Carefully, she slid herself out from between his limbs using catlike twists until she was safely on the bedroom floor, her toes sinking into the plush carpet. Unhurried, she tiptoed across the bedroom to his closet, selecting a large tee shirt and pulling it over her head, the garment falling to the middle of her thighs. Sure, she had her own clothes, but once the phone call with Paige had ended, they hadn’t actually made it back out of bed and her bag was still lying next to his near the front door.

Stretching her arms overhead, she rolled her neck, feeling the satisfying pop as her body lengthened itself and she smiled, catching a glimpse of her appearance. Her hair was a mess, well and truly tousled by more than just sleep. There were marks blooming on her skin, suckled onto the inside of her thighs and ribs. The man was damn near insatiable and that suited her fine. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been interested in sex, but since meeting Kylo, it was as if her hormones had been reminded just how good it could be. Her sex life had gone from non-existent to supernova. He’d ruined her for other men.

Something else that suited her fine.

Wandering out to the bedroom balcony, Rey leaned on the edge of the glass balustrade barrier, looking down over the city as the sun rose. Despite the noises below, New York never really sleeping, Rey had never felt so at peace.

Poe and Paige, Finn and Rose, the ongoing storylines at work. All other issues could wait.

“There she is,”

Rey smiled. His voice was still rough with sleep and she turned to face him, leaning back to prop up her elbows on the balcony rail. It was impossible to hide her reaction to him, her lip caught between her teeth as she boldly looked his naked body up and down, his morning wood proudly bobbing as he wandered out onto the balcony.

“You should be asleep,” she smiled, sucking in a breath as he approached her, trapping her against the glass, his solid cock pressing into her stomach. He smirked, knowing full well what he was doing.

“There should also be a cute little brunette in bed with me to help that process but here you are,” he quipped, “Looking adorable as fuck in my shirt by the way,”

“Speaking of shirts, as much as I hate to say this, shouldn’t you put on some clothes? Someone might see…”

“We’re on the top floor,” he said confidently, “Nobody is going to see anything! If you’re so worried, why don’t you come back to bed?” Rey rolled her neck again.

“As much as I’d love to, I had to move around. My muscles needed it,” she said, “You know what that’s like. Besides, look at that view…how could I resist?”

She turned back to face out towards the city, the sky streaking with pinks as the sun rose higher. Stifling a whimper, she felt him press against her, his cock firmly pushing into her lower back. Ben smiled to himself, his lips finding her shoulder and trailing along her bare neck. Rey sighed happily, her head titled back to lean on him, feeling his hand ghost the skin of her bare thigh.

“How could you resist indeed,” he said softly, “I’m having similar feelings myself,”

The low timbre of his voice resonated through his chest, filling her body with warmth as her stomach clenched with excitement. She couldn’t get enough of him. His voice, his touch, the heat of his skin erasing all trace of logic and self-control to make way for something far more hedonistic.

His hand reaching the curve of her ass, he hummed his appreciation.

“No underwear. Such a good girl,” he crooned, pushing her legs apart. She gasped, his fingers exploring her folds at a leisurely pace, “And wet for me already? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you kinda liked me…”

Her only response was a huffed laugh that soon melted away into a moan as his dexterous fingers circled her clit, her mind too muddled with arousal to form any kind of snappy comeback. Pushing the shirt she wore up over her hips, the morning air caressed her skin as his hand continued up her spine, resting between her shoulder blades to push her forward.

She pulsed around nothing, her cunt aching for relief, to feel the delicious stretch that he gave her. Gripping the edge of the balcony, her knuckles turned white, feeling him grind his length through her soaked slit.

“Fuck, baby you are so beautiful,” he moaned, her slick coating him with each pass. Leaning forward, he moved her hair, pressing a hot kiss to her neck and whispering in her ear, “Watch the sunrise, sweetheart,”

Keeping her eyes open was damn near impossible, her eyes rolling as he thrust into her from behind slowly, feeling her grip every inch of him, their position pushing him so much deeper. His fingers gripped her hips tightly, pulling out leisurely only to snap his hips back as he bottomed out, Rey crying out with a smile on her face.

“That’s it, baby,” he commanded, his breathing hitched as he set a punishing pace, “Let them hear you…let everyone know how good I make you feel,”

Bracing herself against the barrier of the balcony, every exhale a delirious moan as he fucked her through the morning, his imposing body working her raw, every nerve in her body firing with sensation.

“Fuck…oh fuck, Ben…please,” her skin felt like it was on fire, tingling all over as she was pushed closer and closer, begging for sweet release. Kylo growled as his breathing labored, grabbing her thigh to lift her leg higher, thrusting against her powerfully, the sound of skin slapping against skin joining with their feverish moans.

“Are you going to cum for me sweetheart?” he growled, “Cum all over Daddy’s cock…”

An arm wrapping around her hip, his fingers found her clit, frantically rubbing uncoordinated circles around her that caused stars to dance behind her tightly closed eyes, her back arching as she wailed through her orgasm, her thighs trembling with the effort.

Kylo wasn’t far behind her, his movements becoming erratic and with one last hard snap of his hips, he stilled, spilling out into her with a long, low growl, his body folding over hers.

As their hearts slowed, the sounds of the waking city below, he kissed her hair, her cheek, smiling dozily as he nuzzled her neck.

“So, what do you want for breakfast?”

00000

A quick shower that turned into a 45-minute romp under the hot water and finally, they were dressed. Made somewhat presentable for the outside world, bite and scratch marks notwithstanding, Kylo took it upon himself to order in their breakfast as Rey turned on the news.

“That beautiful kitchen and you don’t want to actually cook?” She commented, grabbing herself a cup of coffee from the freshly made pot. Kylo shrugged.

“How do you think I keep it so beautiful?” he grinned, “Actually, I like cooking. I’m just never home to do it and I don’t have any groceries. So, it’s either we order in or I put together a breakfast of old Doritos, mustard and…I think there might be a twinkie back there,”

“Fair point,” she smiled, rolling her eyes as she picked up her phone, “Holy shit!”

“What?” he asked, pouring his own coffee and pulling the food containers from the delivery bag.

“You should see how many Reylo blogs there are on Tumblr!” she laughed, “There’s fan art, they’ve made gifs…discussions…”

“What the hell could they even be discussing?” he pondered, divvying up their breakfast omelets between the plates on the counter.

“Us! They’re talking about the shows and how you acted and how I acted…” Rey explained, “They’re very perceptive!”

“But there’s nothing about us in real life, right?” he asked with a frown, “No pictures or anything?” Rey shook her head.

“Not that I can see. Everything is just coming from the live UCW shows,” She said, “I think our secret that isn’t really a secret is safe for now,”

“Good. I mean, I don’t care if people know but on the run-up to this big show, it would kind of kill the tension they’re trying to build if people knew we were already a couple behind the scenes,” Rey nodded in agreement, accepting the plate from him as he sat down.

“I know, I know,” she muttered, “But you have to admit…it’s flattering,” Ben smirked at her with amusement.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Rey avoided his eyes, trying not to smile as she hacked at her food.

“What? No…”

“You are! I can see it in your face!” Dropping her fork, she gave up the pretense of being shocked by his accusation.

“Alright, yes, yes I am!” she declared, “We’re a hashtag, Ben. A _hashtag_!”

“Just what I’ve always wanted,” he deadpanned, “Just don’t start spying too much you cute little weirdo,” Settling into the cushions of the sofa, his plate balanced in his lap, they watched the late morning news until Kylo broke the silence again.

“What’s your plans today?” Rey sighed, putting her plate on the coffee table and grabbing her mug, pulling her legs under her.

“I have to go and see Paige, she wants to meet up,” she said warily, “She didn’t say on the phone, but I have a feeling I know what it’s about,”

“Poe?”

“What else could it be? After the breakfast table incident last week, there’s no way she doesn’t know…that I know…you know?”

“And people wonder why I keep to myself…”

“What am I going to do?” she whined, “Every time I try to stay out of something I get sucked in!” Kylo put down his own plate, turning to give her his full attention.

“Here’s the thing, from an outside perspective, you might be the only person who knows about this. It could be that you’re the only friend who knows Poe _and_ Jess that Paige can talk to honestly. Maybe she just needs that?”

“I guess…but I don’t support it, like, at all!” Rey stressed, “They can’t keep going on like this! It’s not fair on anyone,”

“I know. I agree with you!” Kylo promised, “All you can do is turn up and see what she has to say. What are you doing after?” Rey smirked into her coffee cup.

“I was supposed to have my lesson with Luke but that’s dead and buried. I guess I could always head down to the performance center and get some work done in the ring there…”

“I have a ring,” Kylo said nonchalantly. Rey paused, blinking at him dumbly.

“Excuse you?”

“I have a ring,” he repeated, “I have a private lock up down near 1st avenue in East Harlem with a wrestling ring that I can go and use whenever I want. I mean…you don’t have to, but if you wanted to train with me there…”

“I’d love that!” Rey answered quickly, “That sounds…amazing!”

“Great,” Kylo smiled proudly, “We could work on some stuff for Starkiller,”

“When we finally get to actually work together instead of throwing heated stares across the ring that the reylo’s all think are ‘come fuck me’ eyes?” Rey joked. Kylo grinned playfully.

“Are you telling me that’s not what you’re doing? Because that’s what I’ve been doing…”

“You’re such a dork…”

00000

The café Paige had chosen to meet was quaint. A small hidden gem hidden down one of the side streets of Brooklyn, not far from where Paige and Rose lived.

Walking inside, Rey immediately spotted her friend, sitting quietly at one of the corner tables, her hands fidgeting with her half-drunk coffee cup.

“Hey! I’m sorry I’m late,” Rey apologized, “Subway was packed getting from the upper east side,” Paige smiled but there was a trace of nerves below her expression.

“Upper East? That’s some trek. What were you doing there?”

“Ben’s apartment is there,”

“Ben?”

“Well, you don’t think I call him Kylo, do you?” Paige shrugged.

“I guess I always thought that was his name,” she said, “Anyway, I…I just got to get this out cause the longer I sit ignoring it, the worse I’m going to feel…You know about Poe and me,” Rey stilled, the smile dropping from her face.

“Yes, I do,”

“How long have you known?” Paige asked quietly. Rey sighed. There was no point in lying now.

“A while,” she admitted, “Maybe a month or so…I’m not sure,” Paige nodded, her eyes focused on her cup as she digested the information. She grunted a humorless laugh.

“You must think I’m the biggest bitch going…being the other woman and all,” Rey shook her head fiercely, her hand reaching to hold Paige’s.

“No. No, I don’t think that at all,” she insisted, “but…Paige, how did this even start?”

“You know how it is, we were spending so much time together on the road. Sometimes it was just the two of us and after a while, things got…warmer. It wasn’t playful banter anymore, it all started to mean something and one night we were out and…he kissed me,”

“He kissed you?” Rey clarified, “and you didn’t try to stop him?”

“Oh, I did!” Paige exclaimed, “I told him that he had Jessika and that it wasn’t fair on her but, I also told him the truth. That I liked him, a lot. We tried, we really did but we just kept gravitating towards each other. After the first time we slept together, he told me that he was going to break it off with Jess,”

“But he didn’t,”

“But he didn’t,” Paige repeated sadly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, “I mean, I get it, breaking up with someone sucks but it was always something. First, her Mom was sick, and he had to be there for her, then she was upset about not being on the main show yet, then she got that knee injury and it was just excuse after excuse,”

Rey scowled at her friend’s confession, a thick silence hanging over the table between the two as the waitress approached to take Rey’s order. Once the girl had departed, Rey spoke.

“But that’s not fair on you!” Rey said hotly, “Poe is one of my dearest friends, but he is acting like an arsehole! He’s feeding you lip service and expecting you just to wait until he’s made up his mind. It’s not fair on you and it’s not fair on Jess!”

“I know,” Paige sobbed, grabbing a napkin from the table to dab at her face, “Rey, this is all such a big mess and it’s only getting worse. What should I do?”

Rey’s coffee arrived. Silently, she reached across the table to grab the sugar, stirring the brown crystals into the liquid while she thought of the loaded question. It was exactly what she didn’t want Paige to ask. Telling her she didn’t want to get involved was nonsense, she was already involved in some way, but if she gave her advice that went wrong, it could backfire on everyone.

Paige sat across from her, tears streaming down her face as she waited on Rey to give her an answer.

“Look, I don’t know what you should do exactly and it’s not my choice to make,” Rey said honestly, “but…you deserve better. Jess deserves better, and if he isn’t going to make a decision…then maybe you’re better off without him,”

“but…I love him,” Paige cried, burying her hands in the napkin. Rey sighed, forlorn for her friend.

“Sometimes you can love someone and it’s still not enough. Not if he’s making you feel this way,” Paige nodded, taking a deep breath and wiping her face.

“You know, I guess I should be thanking you,”

“Me, why?”

“I watched you and Kylo together. It’s so early but you guys are so open about everything, you don’t care about rumors or what people have to say…that’s what I want,” she smiled, “I want to be able to have him around at my apartment without having to time it when Rose isn’t home, I want to go on dates, to kiss him in the parking lot, to hold his hand when we walk down the street…I don’t want to hide anymore,”

Rey squeezed Paige’s fingers in reassurance.

“Then you need to talk to him,”

00000

When Kylo stopped his black BMW X6 to pick Rey up, she practically purred running her hands over the hood. She grinned with excitement opening the passenger door, noticing the leather interior as she sunk into the seat.

“This car is seriously gorgeous,” she gushed, “I mean it, is there anything about you that isn’t sexy? Car, apartment, hair…honestly, it’s almost unfair,” Kylo blushed lightly, the tips of his ears tinged pink.

“What if I do this?” he quipped, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue. Rey snorted inelegantly as she laughed.

“Nope, still sexy,” she giggled, grabbing the collar of the hooded zipper and pulling him in for a quick kiss.

“Hmm. I’m glad you think so,”

AC/DC playing on the stereo, they set off towards East Harlem where Kylo had told her his private training facility was located.

“So, what made you want to have your own place?” she asked as he drove, “Not that I’m complaining. I’d have killed for my own private wrestling ring when I was training,”

“I set it up when I moved back a few years ago before I signed with UCW. It was a good place to get out of my own head, work on whatever I needed to without people bothering me. The performance center is great, don’t get me wrong, but eyes are everywhere,”

Rey understood. Every other day she heard moans of people stealing other ideas, only made worse if the person used said idea on live television and the bosses liked it. It was the same on the indies. Everyone clawed and scratched for something that made them unique, something that made them stand out from the crowd to get them booked on more shows around the country. Whoever performed the idea best, tended to be crowned its inventor.

It wasn’t fair, but so few things in independent wrestling are.

The lockup was nothing special from the outside. A large grey building with a rolling shutter and a locked door next to it. Kylo unlocked the door, pushing it open and flicking a few switches on the side wall. The fluorescent light hummed to life, illuminating the large space.

In the middle was an immaculate 20-foot by 20-foot square ring, surrounded by judo mats on the floor. In the corner of the room were some free weights with a large squat rack and Olympic lifting mat. The walls were personalized far more than anything in his apartment. Large posters from various live events and pay-per-views he had headlined adorning the whitewashed brick.

Rey bit her lip in anticipation as she walked further in, Kylo dropping his bag next to the ring to pull out his wrestling boots.

“I know it’s not much, but I never came here to hang out,” he explained, “It really is just a workspace,”

“Are you kidding?! This is incredible!” she cried, “It’s a wonder you ever show up to the center at all!”

“Well, I _do_ work for the company,” he smirked, “Kinda have to show up once in a while,”

Pulling her own boots from her bag, Rey kicked off her Vans and began the process of lacing up her boots, tucking the stray laces away for safety.

“Any idea what you wanted to work on? We could run some drills if you wanted?” He asked, rolling under the bottom rope into the ring and stretching his neck, “Or I could base for you?” Rey shook her head.

“Hmm. I really wanted to work on some things for Starkiller, it’s coming up so fast, but we don’t know the match yet,” she huffed, “I did have one idea. I have this match coming up and you know that ring exit where you get thrown so hard through the ropes that your arms get twisted between the top and middle?”

“Yes…” Rey replied warily, an eyebrow raised. He knew that exit all too well, the result being that the person was caught helpless in the ropes, dangling on the outside.

“Well, I want to do that,” Rey said, “I want to learn how to do that safely,”

“You know it’s one of the most dangerous things ever right? If you don’t land it then you’re going to end up on your head on the ring apron and if you do, then the ref or someone will have to help untie you…”

“I know that!” Rey replied indignantly, “But there’s this women’s rumble coming up and I thought it might be a cool way to tease me being thrown out the ring, you know? I’ll get thrown out but because I’m caught in the ropes my feet won’t touch the floor?”

Kylo sighed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He supposed at least if he was there showing her the correct form she was less likely to try it on her own without someone there to catch her if it went wrong.

“Alright,” he groaned, “I’ll show you, but you have to promise me that you won’t do this until I know you’re going to be safe!” he stressed as he leveled a finger at her. Rey smiled sweetly.

“I promise! Now, do you have a crash mat?” He nodded, pointing to the side of the ring. Rey hopped out to the floor, grabbing the thick foam pad to place it on the floor below where Kylo would potentially land.

“The trick to this is speed. If you don’t commit to the jump and just go for it then you won’t have enough momentum to take you over to the other side. When you jump, make sure your head is clear of the top rope…otherwise, it’s your neck that you’re going to catch and I’d rather you didn’t die! Run, jump, catch the middle rope with your hands before you go over and hold on,”

Rey nodded, listening to his instructions intently, trying not to smile. This wasn’t her boyfriend Ben talking. It was professional wrestler and trainer Kylo Ren, the difference in his tone immediate and powerful. Much to her chagrin, her body also noticed the change, her stomach clenching and a shiver running down her spine.

“Watch carefully,” he commanded. Hitting the back rope of the ring, he ran at full speed towards the opposite ropes, jumping and catching exactly where he had instructed. His arms were trapped as a result, the middle rope layered around the top as it wrapped around the joints of his elbows. Kylo was tall enough that he could easily sit on the apron of the ring, though his arms were still stretched above his head.

Rey clapped, wandering closer to where he sat with a smug smile.

“And that’s how it’s done,” he declared proudly, “Now, uh…I’m going to need your help here…”

Rey smirked, her head tilting as her eyes danced over his prone form. Glancing at the ropes, she could see the ties pressing into his arms firmly, holding him fast. Biting her lip, she boldly ran a finger down his chest.

“I don’t know…I kind of like you this way,” she shrugged suggestively, “All tied up with nowhere to go,”

“Rey…” He growled, his voice low like a warning from a caged animal, “Untie me,”

Her hand trailed lower down his body, feeling his abs beneath his tee shirt until she reached the waistband of his basketball shorts, teasing the seam, her fingers tickling his skin as his cock twitched in response.

“Is that what you really want?” she teased, “Because you’re saying one thing, but your body is saying another…”

Kylo sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth as her hand palmed him over his shorts, sending shocks along his thighs and around his tailbone. Fruitlessly, he strained against the ropes, small veins in his arms rinsing below his skin with the pressure.

Suddenly she removed her hand from him, an involuntary whine leaving his throat as she sauntered over to his bag.

“Or I could just leave you like this,” she shrugged, picking up his car keys and twirling them around her finger, “I’ve always wanted to drive an X6,”

“Don’t you fucking dare!” he growled, the pressure in his pants almost as painful as the ropes holding his arms, “Rey!” Grinning widely, she dropped his keys, swaying her hips as seductively as possible when she was wearing training gear.

“Aw I’m sorry baby,” she crooned, grabbing the waistband of his shorts and pulling, his painfully hard cock springing free, “Let me take care of you,”

His only response was an undignified grunt, Rey spitting on her hand wantonly to wrap around him, pumping him lazily as his head tipped back, his eyes fluttering closed.

“You’ve been so good to me,” she said, her mouth a breath away from him, “Daddy,”

“Fuck,” he choked, her tongue darting out and teasing his swollen head, “I love hearing you call me that,”

She hummed happily in response, her tongue swirling the underside of his shaft as she took more of him, the vibrations shivering along his sensitive skin, Kylo groaning open-mouthed. Soft and warm, her mouth pulling him to dizzying heights, he ceased straining against the ropes, relaxing into the sensations that she was giving him.

Teasing his slit, tasting the precum that leaked for her, she gazed up at him from her position between his legs.

“Don’t you want to look at me Daddy?” she said huskily, Kylo fighting to tilt his head forward and open his eyes through the haze of lust she was creating.

_Jesus take the wheel…_

It was the most erotic damn thing he’d ever seen in his life. Rey, his Rey, bent down in front of a wrestling ring with his cock in her mouth, her wide hazel eyes almost swallowed by her blown pupils.

For him.

“Jesus fucking Christ, you look so hot,” he groaned, “On your knees for me,”

“Only for you,” she smiled, her hand coming to join her mouth, pumping his shaft while her tongue concentrated its delicious ministrations around his head, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked, the decadent wet sounds mixing with his panting moans.

“Fuck, sweetheart…fuck fuck fuck!” His eyes half-mast, he cursed, his abdomen and balls tightening as he came, her hand milking him for everything he was worth as she knelt open-mouthed to swallow every drop of him.

Wiping her lips, she stood, smiling proudly as he gazed at her with glassy eyes. Carefully, she climbed onto the ring apron, pulling the ropes apart so he could move his aching arms. Rope marks were burned into his skin, red and angry against the inside of his biceps as he clenched his fists to try and get some of the blood circulating back to his hands. Tucking him back into his shorts, Rey leaned forward on the ring apron to kiss him, the taste of his seed still lingering on her tongue. Kylo smirked against her lips, her chest puffing slightly with pride and possession.

“One of these days we’re going to train together and actually get some training done,” he drawled lazily. Rey grinned at him.

“Well…we could train now? Unless you have a better idea?” she asked, a delicate eyebrow raised, biting her lip playfully. Kylo remained silent, mock deliberation on his face until he rushed forward, hopping from the ring apron to grab her, throwing her over his shoulder as she shrieked in surprised laughter.

“Oh, I’ve got some ideas for you, young lady,” he grinned, marching over to their bags to pick them up in his giant hands, “and none of them involve a wrestling ring!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That final scene was dedicated to the ladies of CaP who gave me that filthy idea with the ropes. You girls <3


	16. Mighty Dirty Laundry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> We're getting closer and closer to Starkiller! As always thank you for your comments, I love hearing your thoughts on this story and it really keeps me going when I'm feeling stressed the hell out. Much love to you all x

[](https://imgur.com/L3IlBaG)

As the weeks pressed on they fell into an easy routine, Rey’s insecurity about how things would work off the road dissolving into nothing.

Some nights they stayed at her place, Kylo admitting that he felt more at home in her small studio than he ever had in his penthouse. As the evenings grew warmer, they spent their nights out on the fire escape, surrounded by the glow of the paper lanterns, drinking beer and putting the world to rights in each other’s arms.

Other nights they would stay in his Upper East Side apartment, Rey quickly becoming friends with the doormen that worked there. It was a small, benign detail that always made her smile, cementing her place further as Ben’s girlfriend. On this night, Ben had left the performance center early, telling Rey that he would meet her at his place later with a conspiratorial smile on his face.

“What are you up to?” she asked, the cheeky grin he sported doing nothing to ease her suspicions. Kylo shrugged.

“You’ll see,” he said flippantly, “7 o’clock at my place, okay?”

It was 7:02 when she made it to his door, knocking lightly as she pushed her way into his beautiful apartment. Despite weeks of being there, sleeping next to him, fucking him on every surface imaginable, the living space still took her breath away.

But something else caught her senses. The air was filled with delicious aromas. Spice, salt, sour and sweet all at once, the smell making her mouth water and causing her stomach to rumble audibly.

“Hey, there’s my girl,” Kylo smiled happily from behind the breakfast bar of the kitchen.

On the counter was a wooden board covered in neat rows of sushi. Uramaki rolls with the rice around the outside, smaller cucumber and avocado maki, nigiri with shrimp and neatly sliced tuna and salmon sashimi. On the stove in front of him was a large wok filled with something bubbling and a large pot of steamed sticky rice next to it, “I hope you’re hungry!”

“Holy shit, Ben, did you make all this?!” Rey awed, her eyes gazing hungrily between the spread and the man who apparently made it. He smiled proudly.

“Yup. I told you I liked to cook and I wanted to show you that occasionally I do use my kitchen!” he said, “There’s a choice of drinks. We’ve got wine, I picked up some cans of Strong Zero from the Japanese supermarket or if you _really_ want to go authentic I can grab one of the bottles of sake?”

“Let’s start with the Strong Zero and we’ll hit the sake as a nightcap,” Rey smiled, circling the counter as he turned the heat off on the stove. Standing in front of her, he balanced from foot to foot anxiously.

“So, uh…do you like it?” he asked. Her kiss was his answer, Rey grabbing the dishtowel from his hands to loop it around his neck, pulling him down to her. He tasted faintly of peach and alcohol, Rey smiling against his lips.

“Looks like someone has been into the Zero without me!”

“What can I say? Cooking is thirsty work!” he shrugged, “Now, take a seat please!”

Rey did as she was told, propping herself up one of the bar stools as Kylo produced two steaming hot bowls of chicken teriyaki. Rey picked up her chopsticks, preparing to dive in as Kylo produced two fresh cans of the fruit-based beer.

“Let me guess, you learned this out in Tokyo?” she asked, poking and prodding at her chicken. Kylo watched with amusement as she grabbed for the soy sauce, dumping it on her rice.

“Kind of. I got so used to the cuisine over there and when I came back there was nothing that came close, so I decided to just teach myself,” he answered, “Wow, you would offend so many people eating like that,”

“What? Why?!”

“You just dumped soy all over your rice. The rice is plain to balance out the flavor of the topping, you’ve just implied that it’s not flavourful enough for you,” he explained with a chuckle, “and now you’ve stuck your chopstick in your rice…”

“What’s wrong with that?” Rey asked, grabbing for her can of beer.

“It’s disrespectful. It’s said to look like the incense used at funerals…oh and don’t lick the tips of your chopsticks either!”

“Ben…” He paused, the sushi he was holding hovering between his plate and his mouth.

“Yes?”

“You know we’re not actually in Japan, right?” she grinned, Kylo shooting her a sheepish look.

“Yeah, yeah. Habits die hard!” he drawled, “At least you can hold chopsticks,”

“I’ll have you know I’ve been eating takeout for years,” she smiled sweetly, “I’m not a total heathen!”

They ate in comfort, Rey occasionally gushing about how amazing the food he had prepared was and how she would never doubt his ability in the kitchen again until the conversation turned to less palatable topics.

“I can’t believe she’s still not spoken to him,” Rey grumbled, “You should have seen her, she was so upset. I mean, I know I told her that I didn’t judge her for it but, come on, I probably was a little bit…before I heard her side of things. He told her that he loves her but he’s still playing the same side with Jess! What even is that?!” Kylo sat quietly, chewing his food and nodding along to show he was listening. Swallowing, he drank his beer.

“I agree with you,” he insisted, “I do, but sweetheart, you did your part. You gave her an ear to bend, you told her what you thought and now…that’s it! It’s nothing to do with you, me or anyone else but them,”

“I have half a mind to tell Jess…”

“Don’t do it. Don’t you do it!” Kylo said firmly, “Then anything that happens after that, it doesn’t matter who says what, you’ll always be the person who spilled and when the word inevitably makes the rounds in the locker rooms, you’ll be smack in the middle of it,” Rey sighed.

“I know. I know you’re right but…God, how can he get away with this!?”

“He won’t,” Kylo said simply, “I mean, he is for now but sooner or later, that shit is going to bite him in the ass. I promise,”

“You know, I really hope you’re right,”

00000

Rey had never seen the boardroom of the performance center so full.

Every wrestler UCW employed was there, those who were early enough into the room lucky to be able to sit around the table while the others were crammed into standing at the back. Leia sat at the head of the table, Luke at her right hand as everyone flicked through the running order they had been given. Leia cleared her throat, standing and bringing the room to attention.

“Alright everyone, listen up,” she called clearly, “In front of you is the finalized running order for Starkiller. This is the big one folks! We have a week of events running up to the big night, you all have your travel instructions already. If you don’t, please come and see me after this meeting and we’ll get you sorted out,”

The wrestlers all looked around them, nodding in agreement and acknowledgment but remaining quiet so the general manager could speak.

“This year, as you all know, we’re going to be at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. We’ll have the Starkiller Access week on the run up to engage with the fans, get them talking and build up more buzz,”

Rey fought to keep her expression as professional as possible from her place at the table. For years she had followed Starkiller and the access week that ran alongside it. A week-long convention that covered all things Universal Championship Wrestling. There were photo opportunities, autograph signings, merchandise, and competitions. It was every wrestling fans dream. This time she wouldn’t be watching through the screen of her laptop, she wasn’t even attending as a fan.

Rey was finally going to be there as a professional UCW wrestler.

“You’ve all got your signing schedules as well. Again, any problems or disputes, come and see us privately. This isn’t the place. Now…matches,”

Methodically, Leia began to run through the card for the show, starting from the opening match. Everything was laid out and talked through from the entrances to the match specifics, giving people a chance to voice any opinions on what they could add to their particular segments. The show was going to be huge, Rey knew, but hearing first hand how it was all going to play out was something she had never experienced, and it was fascinating to her.

“And that brings us to our main event,” Leia smiled, “The First Order versus The Resistance for both the tag team titles and the women’s title. Obviously, we’ve been building this up, we’ve got the crowd exactly where they need to be. Head office really debated long and hard about this one, but we all agree, we think it’s time. Congratulations Resistance, you’re going over,”

The room clapped their polite applause, some of their closer co-workers whooping their appreciation. Finn and Poe cheered, high fiving each other and smiling widely. Rey heard none of it over the pounding in her chest, reverberating through her body to her ears. Her throat tightened, and she reached for her bottle of water on the table.

“So…so that means…I’m going to be champion,” Rey murmured in disbelief, her eyes wide and confused. Leia nodded confidently.

“That’s right hon!” she said, “Congratulations!”

“Just hold on a bloody minute!” Phasma snapped suddenly from across the table, “Are you telling me my undefeated streak is going to come to an end because of someone who has been in the company less than a year?”

“Technically, you’ll still be undefeated,” Luke replied calmly, “You won’t actually be pinned by Rey. Which means you have a valid reason to invoke your rematch clause the very next night,”

“And will I be taking my title back?” Phasma snipped haughtily, scowling when Leia shook her head.

“No. The office wants to give Rey a good run with the belt,” Luke explained, “You’ve been a great champion Gwen but it’s time to breathe some new life into the title chase,”

“This is unacceptable!” Hux cried aggressively, “We’re going to lose our titles, but Ren gets to keep his? What kind of bullshit is this?!”

“It’s the kind of bullshit that head office has agreed to!” Leia snarled in reply, “If you have a problem with this…”

“You’re fucking right I have a problem with it!” Hux snapped, “Was this you, Ren? Having a little word in Mummy dearests’ ear to get your new girlfriend ahead?”

“Hey, fuck you!” Kylo shouted, his large fist slamming on the table as he stood, the violence of the action sending his chair to the floor, “I had _nothing_ to do with any decisions. They earned it!” Hux scoffed as Phasma rolled her eyes.

“Earned it between the sheets more like,” she muttered under her breath, Rey scowling at the woman.

“How dare you!” Rey cried, “What I do and who I’m with are none of your business…”

“When it comes to my title, it’s definitely my business!” Phasma shot back.

“It’s been like this since day one, Snoke’s golden boy all the way from Japan…” Hux sneered, “Carrying the title like he owns the place and now he’s throwing his weight to get favors for his friends…”

“Watch your fucking mouth before I close it permanently!” Kylo growled, Hux jumping to his feet as they both leaned on the table, the expanse of wood the only barrier preventing them from coming to blows. The other wrestlers watched on in stunned silence, bystanders to the explosion of emotions.

“Really Kylo? What are you going to do, huh? Are you going to break my neck too?” Hux goaded, “Come on then, I’d _love_ to see you try…”

“Why don’t you come over here and say that to me you bitter little prick!”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Leia’s voice boomed through the boardroom, above the alpha male posturing that was happening across the table. A pregnant pause settled, nobody daring to move, breathe or even look at anyone else.

“Sit down _now_!” Leia hissed, Kylo and Hux slowly returning to their seats, their eyes still locked on each other with lips curled in contempt, “I will not tolerate _any_ of my workers acting like barbarian brats. Listen to me very carefully because I’m only going to say this once. The Resistance is going over because it is time for The First Order to release their hold on the divisions. The audience wants it. This is what head office has decided and that’s what is going to happen,”

Leia paused, her eyes scanning the room for any hint of disagreement.

“You will all act like professionals. This is a work environment and you’ve all been hired to do a job. Nobody in this company is irreplaceable… _nobody_! Now, I expect you all to act like adults, to put this pathetic squabble behind you and _do. Your. Job,_ ”

Thick silence still hung over the room, the adults around the table reminding her more of chastised children than professional wrestlers. Taking a deep breath, Phasma was the first to speak.

“You’re right,” she said tightly, “I apologize for my behavior,” Leia nodded to the woman, acknowledging the apology with silent acceptance.

“I’m sorry too,” Kylo growled, “I’m sorry that Hux is a self-entitled asshole who…”

“Ben!” Rey hissed, halting the string of insults that he was preparing to lob once again across the room. Gritting his teeth, he rolled his neck.

“Alright, I’m sorry that I spoke out of turn and it won’t happen again,” he said quietly, his jaw still clenched and his shoulders tight with tension. Hux remained silent, still staring daggers at the heavyweight champion.

“Good,” Leia said firmly, “As I said if anyone else has anything they would like to bring to my attention, the office door is open,”

Awkwardly, the inhabitants of the room began to filter out, quietly muttering among themselves about what just transpired. Rey said nothing, Kylo following her until they reached the parking lot and could finally talk alone.

“Hey, come on sweetheart, don’t cry,” he said gently, pulling her into his arms, “I’m sorry I yelled like that. I just lost my temper, I couldn’t stop myself…”

“It’s not that,” she sniffed, her voice muffled from the wall of his chest, pushing back to look up at him with watery eyes, “Is that what everyone thinks? That I’m only getting this title because I’m with you?” Kylo shook his head firmly.

“No! Absolutely not,” he said, “Sweetheart, you and the guys are getting these titles because you earned it. You put the work in, you show up and do your job week in and week out. Leia is right, storyline wise it’s time for a change,”

“Really?” He smiled softly, cupping her face and wiping her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

“Really,” he insisted, “Fuck everyone else! You earned this. Don’t let them ruin your moment. You’re going to be a champion baby,”

Despite her anxiety, she smiled, sniffing back her tears. As a child, she had always wanted a replica championship belt, but she’d always been told no. It was too expensive, it wasn’t useful or important. In the end, she had made her own out of cardboard and tinfoil. It was a crude, ugly representation of the real thing but night after night in the safety of her bedroom, it made her feel like a different person.

Her face was puffy, her eyes red from crying but Rey held her head up proudly.

“Yes, I am,”

00000

Since the logistics meeting, there had been little sign of Hux or Phasma until days later when they turned up again at the performance center. Seemingly the time away had done wonders for their attitudes, the pair approaching Rey and Kylo to apologize for their behavior.

“Despite how…disappointed, we both feel, it was wrong to let our anger get the better of us. I’m not angry at you, poppet, I just didn’t quite grasp the office’ decision,” Phasma had told her with a contrite smile. Rey had accepted her apology if only to make their working lives easier.

Kylo had been less easy to convince.

“I don’t trust them,” he muttered, “Hux saying he wasn’t angry at me but at the office? Nah, I don’t buy that. Those words were hella personal…I don’t trust them,” Rey sighed, shuffling back to make herself comfortable between his legs as they sat together in her fire escape, the sun slowly descending in the orange sky.

“I know baby, I agree with you. I don’t trust Gwen either, but we have to work together,” she said, “Starkiller is too important,”

“It’s only a week away,” he smiled, “Are you nervous?” She nodded with a goofy smile feeling him press a kiss to her temple.

“Terrified,” she admitted. Kylo chuckled, his body rumbling behind her.

“Don’t be. It’s only something like eighty thousand people,” he shrugged, “Piece of cake…”

“Oh my God! Don’t make it worse!” She groaned, tipping her head back to meet his shoulder as he laughed. The vibration from her pocket grabbed their attention, Rey pulling out her phone.

“Rose! What can I do for you?” she smiled, playing slapping away Kylo as he tried to nibble at her ear.

“Rey…have you been online today? Like, seen the dirt sheets?” Rose asked quickly. Rey frowned.

“No, not today. Why?”

“There’s something you _have_ to see,” Rose stressed, “It’s…well just go and look and call me back,”

Rey frowned at her phone, confused by her friends’ words and equally as panicked from her tone. 

“What’s wrong?” Kylo asked.

“Rose said we’ve to look online at the dirts. Says there’s something we have to see,”

Ungainly, Rey moved out of Kylo’s lap, the pair clambering back through her apartment window, so she could grab her laptop and pull up prowrestlingsheet.com, the front page of the site flashing before her eyes.

“Fuck! Ben, look at this…”

**_Reylo Confirmed! Exclusive behind the scenes photos confirming UCW rumors._ **

There they were.

Clicking on the link, the article brought up not just a single picture, but multiple photos of the couple. Some grainy and clearly caught on the fly, others far clearer and more deliberate. Backstage in their gear walking hand in hand, talking at the performance center, kissing at the airport. There was no mistaking the evidence. Cold settled into Rey’s stomach like a block of ice, her hands shaking.

“Oh my God…it’s…whoever leaked these got everything. Some of these were taken weeks ago!” she cried. Kylo sat quietly, his eyes stormy as his jaw worked, his mouth mushing together in barely concealed anger.

“When I find out who did this, I’m going to end them,” he snarled, “This is a total invasion of privacy. It’s nobody’s business but ours!” Rey switched tabs on the browser, opening more sites and groaning at what she saw.

“Shit. It’s all over Twitter…and Tumblr,” she sighed painfully, “It’s everywhere! It only went up 20 minutes ago and it’s everywhere!”

Gossip. God how she hated it. One juicy story, something that could be passed along with interest and thanks to the wonders of modern technology, the whole wrestling world would know in the time it took to press retweet. It almost made her long for the days where gossip was strictly passed between locker rooms by word of mouth when fans knew nothing and kayfabe were strictly adhered to. There was still an air of mystery and magic to the art.

Now they lived in the era of ‘smart’ fans. Those who liked to feel that they were in the know, that they knew the business just as well as any wrestler and with that came the dirt sheets, where anyone could drop information anonymously and suddenly it was front page news. Sometimes it was bullshit, totally made up stories that were too far-fetched to be taken seriously but a single picture told a thousand words.

Their story came with eight.

Kylo growled as his phone rang, grabbing for it on the arm of the sofa. Sucking in a breath, he glanced at the number, steeling himself for who it could be as Rey watched him with wide, apprehensive eyes.

“Hello? Yeah…yeah, I’ve seen it,” he said, standing from the sofa to pace the room, “Really? I don’t think that will be…I see. Alright, yeah…thank you for letting me know,” he hung up the call, tossing his phone on the bed, his eyes cast to the floor.

“Who was it?” Rey asked quietly, the quiet of the room louder than any arena PA system. Kylo sighed, his shoulders still solid with tension and when he finally looked at her, it was the first time Rey could honestly say she had seen fear in his dark eyes.

“That was the office,” he said quietly, “Snoke is coming to Starkiller,”


	17. Starkiller: Access Week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here - Starkiller: Access week is upon us!
> 
> Thank you for all the wonderful comments, do keep them coming, they really spur me on! You guys are the best <3
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/AAAjNuN)
> 
> Edge and Christian think so to ;)

[](https://imgur.com/2cgSIUh)

He told her confidently that they have nothing to worry about.

He told her that they’ll probably just get a slap on the wrist, at worst a monetary fine because really someone leaking to the dirts wasn’t strictly their fault. Until that moment they had successfully kept out of the public eye and everything online was simply unconfirmed hearsay. They’d be fine.

But as the date loomed closer, his actions began to contradict his bravado. There was a desperation behind every touch. Every kiss lingered that little bit longer, he held her that much tighter and when they made love, it wasn’t quite as filthy as Rey had become accustomed to. It was as if each time would be their last.

Still, Rey pushed it as far from her thoughts as possible, determined not to let something so trivial ruin a pinnacle moment in her wrestling career. She was going to be on Starkiller and not only that, she was going to be in the main event and winning the women’s championship. It was literally her childhood dreams coming to fruition and she would be damned if some old, suited up bastard spoiled the moment she’d worked her whole life for.

The planning of their big match had gone far smoother than anyone could have anticipated. Finn had joked to her that he had considered wearing riot gear for the meeting, certain that they’d have to pull Kylo and Hux off one another. Instead, Hux and Phasma had acted downright contrite in their manner, agreeing to ideas, pitching some of their own that for the first time in Kylo couldn’t remember when actually benefitted the match and not just themselves.

It made him all the more suspicious.

“I _still_ don’t trust them,” he grumbled as they stepped off the plane in California, “Hux has never been a team player in his life and suddenly it’s all ‘whatever works best’ and ‘sure, I’ll take that move’. No, something isn’t right here,”

“Ben, we should just be grateful that the planning process wasn’t a total headache and we didn’t have to get Luke or Leia involved,” Rey reasoned, walking with him hand in hand towards baggage claim.

At first, neither had been sure how to approach being open about their relationship once the news had broken. Not that anyone in the locker room was surprised. For weeks they’d been wandering around together, kissing in the corridors and sharing each other’s hotel rooms. That wasn’t the problem. It had to be an insider who had leaked their pictures, there was no question about it and even though both Kylo and Rey had a strong inclining as to who it was, everyone was a suspect.

“This is stupid!” Rey had told him, “This doesn’t change us as a couple. Snoke already knows anyway so come on, hold my damn hand and kiss me like you mean it!”

He had. He had grabbed her hands and pinned her to the nearest wall, kissing her until she was breathless and gasping.

Grabbing their bags, they walked with her friends, most chatting excitedly about the upcoming week. All except for Paige. Glancing towards Poe, Rey watched with a barely concealed scowl as he acted without a care in the world, his arm slung over Jessika’s shoulders. Silently looking to Kylo to gesture he should walk ahead, she slowed her pace, falling in line to walk behind everyone with Paige.

“Hey, are you alright?” she asked quietly, her voice low enough that only the other woman could hear. Paige nodded.

“Yeah…oh, yeah, I’m fine,” she said, her voice entirely unconvincing.

“I take it you haven’t spoken to him yet,” Rey sighed.

“Actually, I have,” Paige replied, “But…he wants to get this weekend over with first. I guess I can see his point,”

“Bullshit!” Rey hissed, “He’s just making more excuses! Paige, I hate to see him doing this to you…both of you,”

“I know,” Paige sighed, “I do know…I…I think I know what I have to do,”

“Whatever you decide, if you stay or go, I’ll be here for you if you need someone to talk to,” Rey said with a kind smile that Paige returned.

It hadn’t made Rey feel any better about Poe’s behavior, but she hoped for the most part that something had got through to inspire her friend to take her fate into her own hands.

The Hilton Santa Clara was as beautiful as any other Hilton they stayed in on a regular basis, but this time was different. Rey stopped outside the hotel with a gasp, her hands flying over her mouth in delight, Rose and Paige laughing giddy with her. The building was draped in banners almost as long as half the building itself, each one with a promotional picture of a wrestler for Starkiller. Rey stared up at the 20-foot picture of herself in awe, another tangible reminder that this was really happening.

“I look weird in mine!” Paige laughed, “Look…the eyes follow you wherever you move!”

“At least you have one,” Jessika muttered, Poe giving her a squeeze around her shoulders.

“Next year baby, I promise!”

Rey grit her teeth, ignoring Poe’s comment. It wasn’t her place to get involved but still, her heart hurt for Paige. If Poe loved her like he claimed, they should have been there together. It should have been Paige he had his arm around. Pulling her attention away, Kylo approached her from behind, wrapping his arm around her neck and kissing the top of her head.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” Rey said quietly, still staring up at the banners, “I’m really here,”

“You’re really here,” Kylo repeated, “Believe it, sweetheart. You earned it. I know I wasn’t there for the beginning…but I’m proud of you,”

She blushed under his praise, a warmth blooming in her chest as she snuggled herself closer into his body, barely caring if anyone saw.

Already as they approached the check-in desk, fans were everywhere, all pulling out their phones and taking pictures or shouting for attention and autographs. Despite her weary, plane worn appearance, Rey played her part, smiling for pictures and signing anything that was thrust into her hand.

Kylo played his part too. Maintaining his heel persona as best he could, he threw a couple of insults to the crowd and marched past but not before throwing Rey a wink that she hoped nobody caught on camera.

_Another GIF for the Reylos of Tumblr…_

To her relief, hotel security eventually stepped in, giving the wrestlers some breathing space and time enough to get to their hotel rooms safely. Upon reaching her floor, Rey smiled widely seeing Kylo waiting outside her room.

“Hey, did you check your phone?” He asked, pulling his own from his pocket as she unlocked her room door.

“Not yet,” She shrugged, “I’ve been too busy with the masses downstairs. Why?” He followed her inside as she dumped her suitcase on the large double bed.

“I got a message from Leia,” he said warily, “She wants to meet with us both privately,” Rey stiffened, pausing in her movements, her hand hovering over her bag.

“Do you think it’s about…”

“You know it is, sweetheart,” he said gravely. Dropping the lid of her case, she closed the distance between them, reaching on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.

“You told me everything would be fine,” she said softly, “What’s changed? What are you so afraid of?”

“Look, my Mom won’t be a problem but…you don’t know Snoke as I do,” he sighed, “He’s ruthless. He doesn’t care about people. He cares about money, he cares about himself and that’s it. People are just property to him,” She shivered, feeling his body weaken, his forehead leaning against hers with an expression of utter defeat in his eyes.

“You don’t know what he’s going to say,” Rey replied firmly, “We’re two consenting adults in a relationship. He doesn’t have the right to do anything, there’s nothing in the rules or our contracts that says anything against us. Come on, give me a smile?”

Nudging her head under his chin, she nuzzled at him, savoring the scent of his aftershave until he relented, a tentative, reluctant smile forming on his lips as he gave into her.

“There’s my big guy,” she grinned, “It’s you and me alright? Nothing else matters,”

He kissed her softly, his lips moving over hers as naturally as breathing but as she felt his fingers digging lightly into her skin, a wave of tension rippled over the muscles beneath her hands and she knew he was still afraid.

00000

For days there had been no sign of Snoke.

No word from the office about when he would be appearing or if he had even arrived in the state. It was business as usual as far as everyone was concerned. Earlier in the week, Rey and Kylo had met with Leia in the privacy of her hotel suite.

“I’m sure you two are aware of what I need to talk to you about,” Leia began, “Before I begin, I need you to know that I’m not here to place blame. You both did as I asked you. You didn’t make a big deal of things or flaunt your relationship. That being said, it’s out now and the office isn’t too happy about it,”

“But they can’t do anything!” Rey replied indignantly, “We didn’t send in those photos!”

“I know, Rey,” she sighed, “But it’s happened and now we need to deal with the fallout. The good news is that from the looks of things since the story broke, the interest in this match has gone up tenfold. People clearly want to see what you two do together in the ring,”

“That’s not enough for Snoke,” Kylo grumbled darkly, the smile on Leia’s face falling.

“No, son. I’m afraid it’s not,” she sighed, “He’s still on his way and he still wants to speak with you,”

“He can’t do anything to us!” Rey snapped. She’d said the sentence so many times she was no longer sure if she was trying to convince them or convince herself, “We didn’t do anything wrong,”

She wanted Leia to agree with her, to stand their corner and tell her that everything was going to be fine, just like Kylo had. Instead, the older woman smiled at her sadly and for the first time since Kylo received the call, Rey felt the true stab of fear hit her in the gut.

“Listen, what I want you both to do now is to continue your schedules. Keep kayfabe on the Access floor with the fans, take pictures, do your autograph signings. Do your jobs, that’s all I can ask,”

They did.

They smiled for photos and signed things. They milled around the floor and spoke to the press, elegantly dodging questions about their real lives behind the stage names. Kylo watched from his place at the First Order autograph table as Rey took pictures along with Finn and Poe, trying not to smile at the excited children in bright orange and white shirts as they squealed in delight at meeting their heroes. It would only ruin his heel image.

His time at the table came to an end. Deciding that he needed some peace for a moment, the din of the hall penetrating every one of his senses, Kylo bid Mitaka, Hux and Phasma goodbye, telling him that he would see them bright and early at the Levi Stadium in the morning.

Starkiller was only one sleep away. With the stress of it all, he needed all the rest he could get.

Rolling his tight shoulders, Kylo pushed his way into his hotel room, the door slamming shut behind him automatically. Even with the stress of his thoughts, he smiled as his eyes caught sight of Rey’s belongings scattered around the place. While he was fairly meticulous and organized, Rey was certainly not, some of her clothes scattered around the floor and her cosmetics on the dressing table. Never the less, it brought him an odd sense of peace that she was sharing his space, her own room being used as a glorified suitcase hold.

The sharp knock at the door caused him to spin around, facing the wood with a curious, apprehensive stare. Steeling himself, he gripped the handle to open the door.

“Hello, Kylo,”

_Fuck._

“Mr. Snoke,” Kylo greeted tightly, “I didn’t know you’d be coming to see me,” Kylo stood aside, allowing the older man to make his way into the hotel room.

Snoke kept his face passive, the only hint of expression being a slightly quirked eyebrow when he took in Rey’s possessions. He was smaller than Kylo remembered, his body aged over the years but still, the man radiated power.

“The office did tell you that I would be here,” Snoke said flippantly, “And I thought it best we have this conversation now before things go any further. Sit down boy,”

Obediently, Kylo sat on the edge of the bed, cautiously watching the older man as he paced in front of him.

“When I first found you, I saw what all promoters live to see,” Snoke drawled, “Raw, untamed power, the potential of your bloodline…and now, I see you want to throw my generosity in my face,”

“Mr. Snoke…that’s not…”

“Silence!” Snoke snapped, “I gave you everything when you had nothing, your career was going to be in shreds. I sponsored your training in Japan, I built Kylo Ren from the ashes of Ben Solo and I even gave you the luxury of deciding when it was time to return here. I made you a star…and now? Now you’re about to throw it all away for what? A girl?”

“We haven’t done anything wrong!” Ben said hotly, “What we do outside of the shows doesn’t have an impact on our performance,”

“Oh, but it does!” Snoke snarled, “I can already see it. You are unbalanced, bested by a girl who has barely been signed to us for half a year!”

“That’s not true!” Ben replied weakly. Snoke sniggered cruelly.

“It is. The great Kylo Ren…nothing more than a child playing at being a wrestler,” he mocked, the sting of his insult hitting Kylo like a sharp pang in his chest, “Starkiller can still be saved,”

“What would you have me do?” Kylo growled. Snoke smiled down at him but there was no warmth to be found. It was cold and calculating like the rest of him.

“End it,”

“What?” Kylo breathed, his throat tightening, “You want me to end my relationship?”

“The tension will make for some delicious viewing don’t you think?” Snoke quipped, “End it now,”

“And if I don’t?” Kylo challenged, pushing himself to his feet, his eyes flashing with the challenge.

“Then you’ll lose it all. Your Heavyweight Title, your top line contract. I’ll have you back down working house shows like a rookie before you can blink,” Kylo sneered, shaking his head in disbelief.

“You can’t do that!” he shouted, “You can’t just break us apart because you feel like it!” Snoke continued to smile as Kylo shouted, the veins in his neck prominent with the tension, the older man’s serenity doing nothing to calm him.

“Well, what about Rey?”

The mention of her name, that stopped him. Kylo paused, his face pale as he warily watched Snoke’s smug expression, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

“What about her?”

“ _You_ might not care about your title or what you do, but what about her career? Everything she’s worked _so_ hard for…gone in an instant,” he said, his voice saturated with arrogance, “You will be stripped of your title and Rey? She’ll be fired…back to working the independent circuit like worthless circus trash. Is that what you want for her?”

He was caught, stuck in a vice. If it was only himself, he would take the hit but Rey? Everything she had struggled for, grown up dreaming of was within her grasp, on the tips of her fingers and he would be the one to take it away from her. He couldn’t do it. He _wouldn’t_ be the person who ripped that dream from her.

But when he thought about it, could he do it? Go back to obscurity? Wrestling was the only thing he had ever felt he was good at. It gave him worth, it made him _someone_ , in the eyes of both the people and his Mother. Was he really willing to throw everything they both had worked so hard for all away like that? Snoke smiled smugly.

“You have one week,” he said haughtily, “When you’re ready to make the right decision, I’ll be waiting,”

Kylo watched mutely as Snoke turned and left the room, the heavy door closing with a bang. On unsteady legs, he stumbled back to sit on the bed, his unfocused eyes staring at the floor.

00000

“Ben?”

How long he’d been sitting there for, he didn’t know. He hadn’t felt like he’d moved in hours, the light from the window dulling as the evening descended, leaving the room in almost darkness. He’d forgotten that Rey even had her own key, the sound of her voice causing him to flinch.

“Ben, are you alright?” She asked in concern, clicking on one of the bedside lamps, “Why are you sitting here in the dark?!”

He continued to lean forward, his elbows on his knees as he swallowed heavily. The silence filled the room like smoke, cloying and catching in his throat as she moved to stand in front of him, her eyes full of question and panic.

“What’s wrong? You’re scaring me…”

“We have to end it,”

She hadn’t heard him. That’s what it was. Whatever he had just mumbled while still staring at the floor had to have been anything other than that. Swallowing thickly, she blinked down at him, her chest burning as much as her eyes.

“What?” Slowly, he raised his head to finally look at her, his dark orbs haunted and lost.

“We…we have to end things, Rey,” he said quietly, “Snoke…he came here, and he told me we have to end it,”

“But…but he can’t do that!” Rey choked, her eyes brimming with moisture, “He doesn’t have the right!”

“He can,” Ben said helplessly. Rey shook her head, a pained frown on her face, a mask of confusion and hurt.

“And what did you tell him?” Ben stood, turning his back on her as he walked to the window, “What did you tell him, Ben!?”

“I…I didn’t tell him anything!” Ben stressed, turning to face her, “If we don’t, he’s going to fire you…he’s going to strip me of my title and bust me back down to house shows. He can do all of that, Rey!”

“Like hell he can!” She snarled, “It’s illegal…we can fight it…we can go to Leia or Luke or…or…”

“No! You don’t understand,” Ben snapped with a scowl, “It’s your dream, I can’t do that to you and wrestling is all I’ve ever been good at! It’s the only thing I’ve ever loved…”

He regretted the word the second it had left his lips but seeing the unbridled devastation on her face, how she visibly recoiled as if he’d slapped her, he knew it was too late.

The retort on her tongue died, her mouth clamping shut, and she had to remind herself how to breathe. In. Out. Heart racing, she stared at him in horror.

Because now she knew.

“The only thing?” she repeated, a whisper on the charged air between them.

“No, wait…I didn’t mean that…”

“That’s fine,” She said shortly, the tears on her face shining in the dull lamplight, “You know, that’s fine…because now I know where I stand with you,”

She couldn’t stay. The walls felt like they were closing in and the longer she stood in front of him the more likely it was that she was going to break down, the pain in her chest crushing and all-consuming, crawling through every nerve in her body. She turned toward the door.

“Rey, wait!” Kylo shouted, dashing after her, “Please don’t go…stay, we can talk about this…I didn’t mean it!” Wrenching her wrist from his grasp, she boldly stared into his eyes for as long as her fragile senses would allow.

“But you said it,”

Stepping back powerlessly, he couldn’t find the words as she left his room, staring at the space she had occupied long after the door had closed.

00000

She wandered into the hall of the hotel, walking with uncoordinated steps, her eyes blurred with tears until she reached the stairwell. The sob that tore from her throat, raw and disorientated, reverberated around the stone of the structure, haunting the space with the echo.

_It’s the only thing I’ve ever loved_

His words cut through her like a razor, sharp and cold, leaving her open and bleeding. Everything they had shared, the way he looked at her, touched her. He had promised she was the only woman who had ever been in his home, the only person he’d shared so much of himself with. That was love, wasn’t it? Suddenly now, as she sobbed sitting in the cold of the Hilton back stairs, she wasn’t sure what she believed anymore.

_Move_

She had to move. She couldn’t sit there forever. Dragging herself up to her feet, she leaned her weight on the railing, her head pounding with the strain of her tears. More than just movement, she needed to find her friends. Rose, Paige, Finn, anybody. She needed to talk about what happened, to try and make sense of it all.

Maybe it would be alright. Maybe they would calm her down and she could face him again with a clear mind. That’s what they’d always said, right? Communication?

The hotel bar was bustling with people, fans having a drink, fellow workers relaxing before they turned in to prepare for Starkiller the next morning. Wandering to the entrance, ignoring the curious looks from people at her appearance, she spied Finn and Rose at the bar, but something was odd. Frowning, Rey realized they were fighting, their elevated voices reaching her ears the closer she came.

“It’s always hot and cold with you!” Rose cried, “One minute you want to be with me, to make a go of things and then you change your mind? I can’t take it anymore!”

“Look, I don’t want to fight about this with you!” Finn stressed, “Can we please talk about this lat…Rey?”

They both halted their squabble, turning to Rey with concern.

“Jesus are you alright?” Rose asked, “What’s happened?”

“Well…”

“Guys, I might have done a bad thing!”

Rey didn’t have the opportunity to finish her sentence. Paige ran into the bar, stained with tear marks, her face panicked.

“What the hell is going on?” Finn cried, “Seriously, you two, what’s happened?!”

“I CAN’T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU!”

_Oh no…_

Jessika’s shrill shout of anger echoed around the bar, heads all turning to face the direction of the sound as the dark-haired woman marched into the room, Poe on her heels.

“Jess…please, you gotta let me explain…”

“Explain what? That you’ve been cheating on me for _months_ with Paige Tico?!” She cried, irate. Rose and Finn both turned to stare at Paige.

“Holy shit,” Rose breathed, “Paige…is that true?” Paige squirmed awkwardly where she stood, her eyes cast to the ground as they filled with more tears.

“Of course, it’s true,” Jessika snapped, “Paige told me herself and now _everything_ makes sense. All the excuses, acting so cagey!”

“Paige? You told her?” Poe accused, “I told you to leave it alone and I would handle it!” Paige scowled, wiping her eyes hastily.

“When?!” Paige cried, “You’ve been stringing us both along for months, telling me that you loved me…”

“You told her that you _loved_ her?” Jessika gasped, her own eyes brimming with tears, “You are such an asshole!”

“See, Rose, this is why…” Finn muttered, the smaller Tico sister scowling indignantly.

“Get over yourself, Finn!” She snapped, “Just admit that you’re terrified of commitment and that you don’t want to be with me, so I can move on or something!”

“That’s not true!”

“Sure, as hell doesn’t look like it!” Rose shot back, “What do you think, Rey?”

“You still haven’t given me an answer yet, Poe, what do you have to say for yourself?!” Jessika shouted at the dumbstruck man caught between the two women.

The bar had fallen quiet save for the murmurs as people watched the group fighting viciously in public, fans pulling out their phones to record the war going on in front of them. Rey was horrified, frozen at the sight as her blood pounded in her ears. Rose and Finn were bickering with one another while Jessika screamed at Poe, attempting to slap him over the head as he held her wrists, the fight only escalating when Paige tried to stop her, the heartbroken young woman turning her attention to Paige and screaming at her for ruining her relationship.

“Rey, little help here!?”

“Rey? What do you think?!”

“Rey?”

“Rey?!”

It was too much. A nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. The air was thick and acrid, burning the back of her throat, the noise making her head spin. If she didn’t escape, the contents of her stomach were going to end up on the bar floor. Clutching her tight chest, gasping for air she turned away from the group, dashing from the bar to the elevator. Her own room would be the only haven she would find.

Even in the lobby, she could still hear them shouting.

_Rats. Rats. We’re all fucking rats._


	18. UCW presents Starkiller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Live from Santa Clara, California, UCW presents: Starkiller

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here! This chapter turned into a monster, it's a long one. I tried to keep it as understandable as I could with the wrestling terminology but if there's anything else you don't understand please ask me!
> 
> MASSIVE THANK YOU to Sciosophia who made this AMAZING vintage style wrestling poster for this story and this chapter. I'm so in love with it!

[ ](https://imgur.com/dJIFtqN)

Everything hurt.

What pain took precedent, Rey was unsure. Her head ached with dehydration and the remnants of strain, her eyes puffy and raw from crying. When she fell asleep, she didn’t know, assuming that eventually her body had given up and she’d passed out from sheer exhaustion.

The whole damn thing was a mess. Rolling to her back to stare at the ceiling in the early morning light that streamed through the cracks in the curtains, she thought on what she had witnessed, a culmination of months of secrets and untold thoughts coming to surface resulting in a violent eruption of careless accusations and cruel words.

Poe, Jessika, and Paige. Finn and Rose.

_Ben…_

Thinking of him, her bed felt wide and empty without his large frame to take up the cool space. Since their confession, they had barely spent a night apart and the throbbing ache in her chest was made all the more conspicuous by his absence. She had hoped to feel better after she had slept, having had some distance from him but the continued drama amongst her friends had worn her out further and she found that even if it had been a slip of the tongue, his words had wounded her deeply.

Because she loved him.

Rubbing her tired eyes free from sleep, Rey rolled from her bed. Wandering over to the dressing table she leaned forward into the mirror to inspect her face, grumbling at the sight. It was the biggest show of the wrestling year, they called it the grandest stage of them all, the showcase of the immortals.

She looked like hell.

“Great,” she mumbled, “Just what I needed today…”

Going through the motions, she showered quickly, deciding to skip the morning workout and head straight down to at least try and eat something. Not that her stomach was interested in food the way it was still knotted but she knew she had to be sensible and going the full day on an empty stomach before the biggest match of her life wasn’t going to do her favors.

_Oh, God. The match._

Halfway through brushing her teeth, she stopped, staring at herself in the mirror with wide eyes, the toothbrush still hanging in her mouth. By the time she had closed herself away in her room and turned off her phone, it had barely occurred to her that not only would there be fallout from the multiple issues laid bare, but they all had to work together in front of eighty thousand people, beamed live on pay-per-view around the world.

She could barely think about him without the sting of tears prickling behind her eyes, how the hell was she going to face him in the ring?

_Future Rey. That’s a job for future Rey to deal with._

Grabbing an outfit that made her feel almost like a functional human, Rey pulled on her skinny jeans and a tank top, tossing her damp hair into a bun and praying that the concealer on her face was strong enough to hide what she was sure was the physical manifestation of drama under her eyes. Grabbing her purse, she braved leaving the safety of her room.

Even so early, the hotel lobby was beginning to buzz with activity. Rey tried to remain as inconspicuous as she could, keeping her head down as she walked towards the restaurant, pausing in the doorway when she looked up to see Finn already sitting alone at a table.

“Hey, can I sit?” she asked quietly as he eyed her warily, nodding.

“Sure,” he replied, “How are you this morning?” Rey snorted a humorless laugh as she sat at the table, fighting the eye roll that threatened.

“Oh, peachy,” she said sarcastically, “Just great,” Finn sniggered.

“Well, no offense Peanut, but you look as good as I feel,” he sighed, “Man…last night was…”

“A great big fucking mess,” Rey finished dryly, “That’s what it was, Finn,”

“Yeah,” he said awkwardly, “I guess it is, but…we’ll get over it, right? It’s just a fight,”

“Which one?!” Rey shot back tersely, “You and Rose, Poe and his issues or me and Ben…” Finn frowned.

“What happened with you and Ben?” Rey ordered a coffee from the approaching waitress, waiting until they were alone again to turn her attention to Finn.

“That’s what I came to find you for last night before it all kicked off,” she said quietly, “Ben and I, we…I don’t know what’s happening, it’s all such a _fucking mess_!” she choked, sniffing back the impending tears that threatened to form.

“Whoa…okay. Forget everything else, start from the beginning for me,” Finn said gently, “Tell me what happened,” Rey took a deep breath, grabbing the sugar on the table and dumping it into the dark liquid presented to her.

“You remember the story that broke on the dirt sheets? This whole ‘Reylo’ thing?” Finn nodded, “Snoke found out and he went to see Ben. He told him that if we didn’t end things then Ben would be stripped of the title and put back down to house shows only, that I’d be fired…”

“Holy shit,” Finn breathed, hanging on her words, “And…what did he say?”

“He…he told me that we had to end things,” she cried softly, moisture spilling over her lashes, “He said he couldn’t be the reason I didn’t reach my dream and…he said that…that…”

“What?” Rey exhaled a deep, shuddering breath, the pain in her chest burning as she relived his words.

“He said wrestling was the only thing he’d ever loved,”

Finn sat quietly back in his chair, swirling his own coffee while he stared at his crying friend, mulling over the words she had just told him.

“That’s just not true,” he declared confidently. Rey wiped her eyes with her napkin.

“What?”

“I said it’s not true,” Finn repeated, “There’s no way,”

“But…he said it,” she sniffed, “and he told me he didn’t want to be with me…” Finn smiled sadly.

“Did he actually say those words?” Rey paused, picking up her coffee.

“No,” she said quietly, “No, he told me we had to end things,” Finn nodded his confirmation.

“He didn’t tell you that because he doesn’t want to be with you. He doesn’t want to be the reason you lose everything you’ve been working for. Rey, that dude loves you in a way that’s just downright terrifying!”

“He’s never told me,”

“Maybe not, but it’s obvious to literally everyone that looks at you two!” Finn chuckled, “Hell, even strangers online could see it and that was _before_ those pictures leaked. He loves you, Peanut. He’s trying to do what he thinks is right,”

“Like you are with Rose?” Rey asked plainly. Finn blinked at her, caught off guard by the abrupt change in subject as Rey sat with a faux-innocent smile, tarnished by her still watery eyes. Finn sighed heavily.

“Maybe,” he relented, “I…I just don’t want to mess things up, you know? We’ve been friends for so long,”

“I know you don’t but the more you lead her on, telling her one thing then changing your mind, eventually you’re not even going to be friends,” Rey said, “And wouldn’t that be worse?”

“Yeah,” he agreed with a small smile, “I guess you’re right. What should I do?” Rey smiled genuinely for the first time in what felt like an age.

“I think you should get brave,” she said, nodding towards the doorway of the restaurant, “And would you look at that, now is your chance!”

“What?!” Finn cried, his head whirling round in a fluster to see Rose shyly walking towards them. Quickly, he composed himself, sheepishly gazing at the small woman.

“Morning guys,” Rose said softly, “Listen, I just gotta say this…I’m sorry for my part in last night. It got so out of hand and, Finn, I didn’t mean a lot of what I said,” Rey watched as Finn reached out and took hold of Rose’s hand.

“I’m sorry too,” he smiled, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. Awkwardly, Rey cleared her throat.

“Well, I’m going to leave you guys to it!” she said, standing up from the table, “Lots to do today and I haven’t even begun to pack my back to take to the stadium,”

“Rey are you sure you’re alright?” Finn asked, his friend nodding almost too enthusiastically.

“Yes! Sure, of course, I am!” She insisted, “You two enjoy your breakfast and I’ll see you later, okay?”

_I’ll get room service or something…_

Walking away from the table, as she reached the doorway, Rey turned to look back at her friends. Rose and Finn only had eyes for one another, a bittersweet smile falling on Rey’s lips as she tried not to picture cedarwood eyes and dark hair.

00000

Trying to call her hadn’t helped since her phone was going straight to voicemail.

Unable to sleep, Kylo had tried to work out, intent on doing push-ups until his arms gave out, willing the fatigue in his muscles to distract from the all-consuming crushing sensation he felt in his chest. He’d reached 300 before growing bored, realizing that his distraction tactic wasn’t working.

Despite practically clearing out the minibar, sleep still escaped him. It didn’t help that all he could see when he closed his eyes was her beautiful face, stained with tears and twisted with a hurt that he had carelessly caused.

His thoughts had been the same all morning, repeating over and over again how stupid he was to have let her walk out of his room. He should have stopped her, told her more than a stuttering explanation that he didn’t mean the way it had sounded. He should have grabbed her and kissed her until there wasn’t a doubt left in her mind how much she meant to him.

Instead, he had stood there like a dumbstruck teenager, trembling and confused, watching helplessly as she walked away from him with tears in her eyes.

_Fucking idiot_

Going through the motions, he had pulled himself out of bed and showered, wandering to the hotel gym in the hopes that he might run into her in the halls. He hadn’t been so fortunate. Instead, he was mobbed by fans, all wanting pictures, and autographs. Not having the energy to keep in character, he humored them, signing whatever they thrust into his hand and taking whatever selfies they wanted.

Eventually, he’d given up hope, grabbing his bag and making his way to Levi stadium. At least he could settle in before the show and check out the set. Barely looking anyone in the eye as he wandered the halls, Kylo shoved open the door to the locker room with a grunt.

Claiming a space in the corner, he unzipped his case to pull out his gear, frowning in annoyance as Hux chuckled to himself across the room, his phone in his hand.

“What are you laughing at?” Kylo muttered shortly. Hux grinned, swanning over to the champion to show him the screen.

“Looks like some people aren’t as squeaky clean as they like to think,” Hux said smugly, holding the phone in Kylo’s face.

**_UCW Wrestlers in public bust up!_ **

Kylo frowned at the screen, taking the phone from Hux’s hand and ignoring the look of glee on the man’s face. There were pictures and videos, all showing different angles of a huge argument that had broken out in the hotel bar. Something he had clearly missed while he had been feeling sorry for himself in his room. In the middle of it all was Rey, some of the clearer pictures showing how lost she looked in the fray. His lip curling, he shoved the phone back to Hux.

“Get that shit away from me,” Kylo growled. Hux sniggered, sauntering back over to his things with a smirk as Mitaka entered the room.

“What’s the matter, Kylo?” He drawled, “Trouble in paradise?”

Kylo stopped, turning around slowly with a dangerous scowl on his face.

“Don’t push me today,” he snarled, “You don’t want to push me today…”

“Ooh I see we’re really getting into that heel persona nice and early!” Hux teased, “What’s wrong? Not a fan of the dirts? Astounding considering you were all over them barely a few days ago!”

Kylo walked towards the smaller man slowly, standing his full considerable height, a twitch jumping under his eye as he clenched his jaw.

“Listen to me very carefully,” he said quietly, “I _know_ it was you who leaked those pictures and if it wasn’t for tonight, you’d be a smear on the sole of my boot…”

“Is that right?” Hux goaded, “of course it was me and you know what? I’m proud of it! You’ve been swanning around like you’re a fucking God for too long, having everything handed to you because of who you are. Well, guess what? You’re not the only one with a wrestling family! I’m a second-generation wrestler and I deserve just as much as you!” Kylo smiled coolly.

“Yeah, you are…and how proud would Brendol Hux be of you now if he knew _this_ was how you were trying to climb the ladder?” He sneered, Hux growling audibly at the taller man, shoving him back forcefully.

“Don’t you dare speak about my father!” He shouted, “You don’t have the right!”

“And you didn’t have the right to expose my relationship to the fucking world!” Kylo yelled back, rushing forward to grab the man by his collar only to be stopped by Mitaka, the third man caught in the middle.

“Stop it!” he screamed, “That’s enough! It’s not the time for this. We have to work together, okay? Get tonight over with then do whatever the hell you like but I am _not_ going to have this match ruined because of you assholes!”

Kylo and Hux stood apart, Mitaka still in between them as they both blinked at him in astonishment. Generally, Dopheld Mitaka was a quiet man. He only spoke when he was spoken to, rarely offering a comment unless it was warranted. Clearly, the fact Kylo was ready to punch Hux until he was nothing more than a paste was enough for him to raise his voice for the first time in recent memory.

“Fine,” Kylo said tightly, “Stay the fuck out of my way and just do your job in the ring,”

“Likewise,” Hux replied, the pair still staring daggers at the other. Mitaka nodded.

“Right…good,” he said awkwardly, “So…let’s get ready then shall we?”

Still growling under his breath, Kylo turned his back on Hux, busying himself with his traditional routine of getting ready. Picking up his phone, he couldn’t help the disappointment that bubbled in his chest seeing that there was no response to his calls.

00000

She had felt the tension in locker rooms before.

With so many people working the same shows up and down the country, so many big personalities all vying for the spotlight, it was inevitable that from time to time locker rooms would be shared by those who didn’t get along.

Nothing could have prepared her for the atmosphere she felt entering the Starkiller women’s locker room.

Paige and Rose were getting changed on one side of the room while Jessika was on the other. In the far corner, Phasma sat silently on her phone. Nobody dared say a word, all heads rising when Rey walked into the room.

She stopped uncomfortably in the doorway, steeling herself to take her place on the benches as she began to unpack her bag. After a minute of unbearable silence, Jessika grabbed her sweater, pulling it on over her gear and stomping from the room, throwing Rey a cold glare as she did.

“She…knows,” Paige muttered apologetically, “She knows that you knew about Poe and me,” Rey snorted.

“Oh, great,” Rey sighed sarcastically, “Another thing I get to deal with today of all days. Glorious!” Paige winced, physically flinching as she sat down to finish lacing her boots. “I’m sorry…It’s not you. It’s…everything,”

“No, don’t apologize!” Paige sighed, “You’re right…this is supposed to be your big day and we’ve all kinda ruined it,”

“It would have been ruined without your fight. It’s fine,” Rey mumbled plainly.

It wasn’t fine. It wasn’t fine at all but what else could she say? No sentence uttered from her lips was going to make anything better in a hurry but there was equally no point in adding to the almost unbearable tension. Tying her laces, Paige stood.

“I’m going to go and get some air or something,” she said quietly, Rose declaring that she was going to join her sister, leaving Rey alone in the room with Phasma. After a minute of silence, the older woman spoke.

“How are you, poppet?” she asked quietly, putting her phone down and sitting back against the lockers, her face passive. Rey stilled, turning to look at Phasma apprehensively.

“Do you actually care or are you just trying to be polite?” she said bluntly, “Because if it’s the second, I’d rather just stay silent,”

“Well, aren’t you the nippy little sweetie today,” Phasma said, “This is a big day for you. You should be excited…a first title win,”

“I _am_ excited,” Rey snapped, “I’m also nervous, exhausted, stressed and I don’t need you or anyone else coming for me today, alright?” After another moment of silence, Phasma spoke again.

“You know, I saw what happened last night at the bar,” she said evenly, “I was there, having a drink with Armitage before we turned in for the night. Awfully messy business, but you were upset before it even all began…what happened?”

Rey sighed, smoothing out her new entrance coat as she hung it up, her eyes avoiding Phasma as she wondered how best to answer the woman.

“Again, are you asking because you care or because you want news straight from the source?”

“I’m asking because I want to know if this is going to cause a problem tonight?” Phasma fired back, “Because if it is, I’d like to prepare myself,”

“I think you know what happened,” Rey growled, turning to glare at the woman, “Woman like you with your ear to the ground, I’m certain you somehow already know,” Phasma smiled, the expression not quite reaching her eyes.

“Well, I’m sorry if that’s the case,” she said quietly, Rey snorting derivatively.

“Oh please! You know for a fact that Hux was the one who started it all, leaking those pictures!” she spat, “If he hadn’t, we might not be in this mess…there might have been more time before…before…” her throat tightened to her horror, her eyes stinging and she cursed her emotional state having promised herself that she wouldn’t cry backstage, today of all days. Phasma stood, approaching the younger wrestler.

“Listen, Hux has his own agenda…I had nothing to do with it,”

“Bullshit! He’s your boyfriend. There’s no way you didn’t know what he was doing…that it would benefit you as well…”

“You think it _benefits_ me to drop my title to some heartbroken wisp of a girl?!” Phasma shouted, standing tall and indignant, “No, if I’m going to drop my title it should be to someone with some fire in their belly and certainly not in some pathetic multi-man match where I’m not even being pinned by my successor!”

“This wasn’t my choice!” Rey shouted back, “None of this was my choice. Not a single fucking thing! Do you really think I wanted my first ever Starkiller to be like this? This is all I’ve thought about since I was 12 years old…and it’s a nightmare,” she said, her anger dissolving as she spoke until she fell back to the bench with an exhausted sigh.

Phasma stared down at Rey as the young girl kept her eyes ahead, Phasma’s face frustratingly blank.

“Stop that,” Phasma said firmly, “Now is not the time for a pity party. You’ve been dreaming about this since you were a kid? Do you want my title? Act like it. Fuck everyone else, forget your relationship problems, go out there and _do your job_!”

Rey slowly looked up at Phasma as she towered over where she sat, glowering down at her like a disapproving teacher. She had never been able to get a read on Gwen Phasma and the woman was an enigma to her now more than ever. One minute she was sickly sweet, the next cold as ice and now she was seemingly dishing out tough love.

“And what do you get out of being nice to me?” Rey asked quietly. Phasma gave her a half smile.

“I’m not being nice to you, dear,” Phasma said, “But someone needed to tell you to pull your boots up and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be your friends,”

Rey had no reply as the other British woman walked away. For all that had happened, the drama, the shouting, and all the distress it had caused, the few times Rey had spoken to her friends about it, she had been met with sympathetic gestures and platitudes designed to soothe her frayed nerves when what she actually needed was to be told to pull herself together. Who would have thought that speech would have come from Gwen Phasma of all people?

They weren’t friends. They would never be friends and that suited Rey just fine, but for the moment, until the final bell rang, and they were back through the curtain, at least they were on the same page.

00000

Even backstage they could hear the roar of the 80,000 strong crowds.

The national anthem had been sung, the opening ceremony fireworks had been lit and the dark matches had finished, warming the crowd up for the full splendor of the main show. Standing in her full outfit, her hair pulled back into the three buns she used to wear at the start of her career, Rey watched the backstage monitor nervously, absently chewing her nail as she watched the penultimate match.

“Have I missed it?” Finn asked, approaching where she stood. Rey shook her head.

“No, they’ve just gone out,” she replied, still watching her friends walk down the ramp as the announcer spoke to the stadium.

_Making their way to the ring, from Salt Lake City, Utah, Rose and Paige, the Tico sisters!_

“So, I take it you and Rose talked things out?” Rey asked, nudging Finn gently. Her friend smiled bashfully.

“We might have,” he grinned, “Things are great. Sounds stupid, but I really think for us that bust up needed to happen for us…have you, uh, spoken to Ben?”

“No,” Rey said shortly, “No I haven’t. I don’t think 30 minutes before we headline this show is the right time for that conversation…even if it was, the way I walked out like that…I don’t even know if he wants to see me,”

“He’ll want to see you,” Finn confirmed, “but…you do you. Whatever you think is best,”

Rey turned back to the monitor, watching as Rose hit Kaydel with a running bulldog, tagging in her sister as Jessika screamed from the apron. A knot formed in Rey’s stomach, watching the match apprehensively, hoping that despite their issues, Jessika and Paige could remain professional in the ring.

Wincing, she watched Jessika tag in, immediately spearing Paige to the mat and mounting her with a series of blows that Rey hoped were planned. The whole thing made her feel queasy, mounting on the nerves she felt for her own situation.

“Hey, how long do we have?”

Turning, Rey’s jaw clenched as Poe approached, suited and booted in his new gear, matching Finn. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at the screen, determined to stay as civil as she could despite her tumultuous emotions towards her friend.

“Not long, they’re just going into the go home now,” Rey answered flatly. Poe nodded, his eyes glancing over his friend. He reached out, holding her gently by the shoulder, silently asking her to look at him.

“Rey, look, I just want to say that I’m sorry…about everything,” he muttered sheepishly, “I know that I really fucked things up,”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” Rey sighed, “and I don’t know how you’re going to make things right with those girls…I don’t know if you can. Fuck, Poe, why didn’t you just do the right thing in the first place?”

“You really want me to say it?” Rey nodded firmly.

“Actually, I do,”

“Because I’m a fucking coward,” Poe said plainly, “I didn’t have the guts to tell Jessika that I just wasn’t feeling things anymore…I didn’t want to hurt her and now I’ve lost both of them,”

Rey regarded Poe carefully. He certainly sounded remorseful. It didn’t make what he’d done any better but at least he was feeling _something_. It was written all over his face but now wasn’t the time for him, or any of them to wallow.

“Poe, I’m going to do to you what someone did for me earlier,” She said with authority, “Snap out of it. Now isn’t the time to get all woe is me! It’s happened and we’ll all deal with whatever problems we’ve got _after_ the show…but now? We have a job to do, and this is too important. Game face on, yeah?” Poe nodded, a small smile on his face.

“Yeah…yeah, you’re right,” he agreed, “Thanks, Rey,”

The final bell to the match sounded Finn whooping and clapping in excitement as Rose and Paige celebrated in the center of the ring.

“Woo! That’s my baby!” he cheered, “I am so proud of you!”

“Well, at least someone’s happy,” Poe muttered under his breath to Rey with a smirk. She couldn’t help but return his smile.

After Phasma’s talk, Rey had been telling herself the same thing for the remainder of her day. Now wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity and sadness, she couldn’t let the situation she found herself in get to her. Smoothing out her white sleeveless ring coat, repeating her mantra of pulling herself together, she was still unprepared for how her body would betray her when she finally saw him.

It wasn’t a slow ache, it didn’t creep along her skin and slowly constrict her lungs like a viper wrapping around her throat. The effect was sudden as if something had slammed into her stomach driving all the air from her, leaving her gasping for breath and the wound she had carefully cared for was torn open once more.

He looked every inch the heavyweight champion in his long black coat, the top of his hair pulled back in a ponytail and the title belt around his waist. She ignored the rest of the First Order, frozen under the scrutiny of his fathomless eyes. Standing silently, black and white, yin and yang, two halves of a whole both unbalanced without the other.

Out in the stadium, the ring was being prepared, the video package of their feud playing for the audience to build their anticipation for the main event.

_Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry._

“I’ve been trying to call you,” Kylo said quietly, desperation evident in his voice.

“My phone has been turned off,” she mumbled quietly, “Ben…it’s not the time…”

“Rey, please, I didn’t mean it like that…you have to know I didn’t,” he breathed. She sucked in a sharp breath, clenching her jaw to try and compose herself.

“Even so. You’ve still made the decision for both of us,” she replied painfully, “and you chose this,”

“Please…sweetheart, I…”

“RESISTANCE! YOU’RE UP!” Rey turned to look at the stagehand, holding open the curtain as their music began to play, nodding in acknowledgment that their time was up. Kylo watched her smooth her white coat one last time before following Finn, Poe and Snap out into the stadium.

_I love you_

00000

_Hello folks and welcome back to Starkiller! We are live from Levi stadium here in Santa Clara, California. We are your hosts Rian Johnson and J.J here at ringside! We’ve already had an amazing night of wrestling, isn’t that right J.J?_

_That’s right Rian but the match everyone has been waiting for is just minutes away and you can feel the electricity buzzing through the air! The First Order versus The Resistance and I cannot wait to see how this plays out!_

The roar was deafening as much as it was disorientating when she emerged at the top of the entrance way, the size of the stadium causing the sound to bounce around with delay before it reached her ears. The long walkway stretched out before them, flashing and glowing with the rest of the light show along to the beat of their entrance music.

Pausing, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and embracing the moment before it disappeared, committing the feel of the bass reverberating through her body, the screaming fans, to her memory. She was Rey J Kenobi, and this was her moment.

Following the rest of her team, she walked down the ramp towards the ring, pointing at the fans as her coat billowed out behind her gracefully. The night sky above the open roof could barely be seen behind the bright lights of the set.

“The following contest is the four on four elimination match for the UCW Tag Team and Women’s championship! Making their way to the ring, the team of Snap Wexley, Rey J Kenobi, Finn Storm, and Poe Dameron: The Resistance!”

White and orange lights flashed everywhere, the crowd screaming and chanting for the babyfaces to finally put the heel team in their place. Leia had been right, Rey smiled to herself, they really did have the crowd where they wanted them. Pulling off her coat, Finn grinned at her.

“This is it, Peanut,” He smiled, “Enjoy every second!”

“And their opponents, they are the team of the UCW Women’s champion Phasma, the UCW Tag Team champions Arm Hux and Mitaka and the UCW World Heavyweight Champion Kylo Ren: The First Order!”

The whole stadium was bathed in blood red lighting as The First Order emerged at the top of the ramp. Rey hoped whatever expression was on her face looked something akin to determination and not the nauseating anxiety that was threatening to tear her gut in two. He looked like Kylo Ren as he marched towards the ring, his face cold and arrogant, his coat ominous and menacing. He wasn’t the Ben Solo that she knew, not at that moment. Perhaps that would make her task easier when the bell rang.

_It’s going to be Snap Wexley and Mitaka kicking off this elimination tag team match! What’s interesting about this set up is that the champions don’t have to be pinned to lose their titles._

_That’s right, Rian, all that matters are who the winning team is in this scenario so if the Resistance are the last ones standing, we’re going to see new Tag Team AND a Women’s champion tonight here at Starkiller._

Snap immediately went on the offense, using his size and strength advantage to manhandle the smaller wrestler, grabbing the man and pushing him into a military press above his head to the delight of the cheering audience, popping Mitaka up and dropping him onto his front.

_Snap, the most powerful member of The Resistance using his strength to show off a little bit! He’ll need to be careful that showboating doesn’t cost him._

Rey tried to look enthusiastic, to cheer her teammate on and rile up the crowd but it was so much harder knowing she was being watched from the other side of the ring. Like an overwhelming pressure, she could feel his eyes on her, only occasionally flicking away when he seemed to remember he also had a character to play.

_And Snap Wexley with a beautiful Samoan drop, the First Order can get there in time and Mitaka is eliminated! The first elimination of the match goes to The Resistance leaving The First Order a man down!_

“Mitaka has been eliminated!” the announcer cried, his voice echoing through the stadium to the cheer of the crowd.

As soon as Mitaka was pinned, rolling out of the ring in fake agony to be taken to the back, Hux stepped between the ropes, rushing to pepper Snap with punches to the face. Kylo watched on, feigning interest in the match. It was folly, he knew that. A stadium full of people were watching their every move, it was being beamed live to millions all over the globe and still, all he could think of was how much he had to tell her, how badly he wanted to make things right.

_Hux now wearing down Snap with some vicious strikes. This Arm Hux is such a nasty piece of work._

_I have to agree with you there J.J, nothing at all like his father, the late Brendol Hux, a former European Champion and N.W.A World champion. Do you think he’d be proud of his son?_

_I do not, Rian, I do not think so at all with that kind of in-ring behavior!_

Just as planned, Hux sprinted across the ring to knock Finn and Poe off the apron while Phasma grabbed Rey’s heel to pull her to the floor. The distraction was enough for Hux to land a nasty scissor kick to the side of Snap’s head, pinning the larger man.

“Snap Wexley has been eliminated!”

Pulling herself back onto the apron, screaming at the referee as she sold the pain of her back, Rey watched the match unfold in front of her, Finn dashing into the ring to take Hux to the mat, hammering the other man with blows while Rey and Poe clapped their encouragement. Her time was drawing closer.

_Rey Kenobi screaming across the ring at Phasma for that little stunt earlier. There is no love lost between these women!_

_Some of the animosity could also be directed towards Kylo Ren. He’s in charge of the group and they’ve had their fair share of run-ins since Rey joined The Resistance._

Hux stumbled to the corner of the ring after being hit with a standing dropkick, goading Finn into the corner, only to move out of the way, rolling the man up and placing his feet on the ropes for leverage.

_Hux is using the ropes! Referee, you can’t be serious, that is blatant cheating!_

_The referee hasn’t seen it and he’s counting the pin!_

“Finn Storm has been eliminated!”

“Rey, you’re up!” Poe said, not bothering to whisper since the audience couldn’t hear him over the sound of their own shouts.

Sucking in a sharp inhale, she stepped between the ropes, the crowd chanting her name as her heart pounded in her ears, smashing against her ribs violently.

_And It’s Rey J Kenobi in the ring now catching Phasma in the face with a beautiful standing dropkick follow by some Japanese arm drags. She’s clearly been training in a lot of different styles in preparation for this match!_

There was a certain euphoria that came with being in the ring. That perfect moment where you knew what you were doing, moving instinctively with your opponent and feeding off the energy of the crowd. As she ran at Phasma, hitting her in the corner with jumping knees to the woman’s chest, that’s how she felt.

Kylo Ren, Snoke, backstage gossip and bickering friends, none of it mattered. All she felt was the pulsing energy of the people and the blood pumping through her veins spiked with adrenaline, more intoxicating than the strongest drugs. Taking the knees to the chest, Phasma fell forward, lying prone on the mat.

_She’s going for it! Rey J Kenobi hits a beautiful Sabersault right in the center of the ring…and Phasma is out! The women’s champion is out of the match!_

_Oh my God, Rian! That mean’s it’s down to Kylo Ren, Arm Hux, Rey Kenobi, and Poe Dameron. Two left on each team!_

Rey had read about certain moments, she’d seen movies and TV shows, those rare instances where the world vanished and all you could see was the person standing in front of you. He stepped into the ring inches from her in the center as she stared up at him with wide, unblinking eyes. The audience roared as loud as they could, the din shaking the rafters and echoing out of the open roof.

Rey heard none of it as he looked down at her openly.

“Rey…”

“What are you doing? Swing the line!” she hissed through clenched teeth. The people and cameras couldn’t hear them, but she still had to make it look like she was throwing insults at him, “Have you forgotten the plan?”

“Rey, I love you,”

_Kylo Ren and Rey Kenobi locked in an intense stare down, there’s been so many issues between these two for months and finally, it looks like they can get their hands on each other!_

_That’s right J.J but it doesn’t look like Kylo is all that keen to get into it with Rey Kenobi. We can’t make out what they are saying!_

She couldn’t breathe. Her promise not to cry was quickly becoming a distant memory as her pupils burned and she bit the inside of her cheek hard to stop her bottom lip from shaking. He loved her.

The big idiot had chosen the worst time and place to say it.

But he loved her.

Fighting the smile that threatened to form on her lips, she scowled up at him, using every ounce of built-up frustration that she had experienced over the 24 hours to make the act as believable as possible.

“I love you too,” she said, her face a mask of anger in contrast to the tone of her voice, “and you’re late for your cue…”

“…what?”

_Oh my God! She slapped him again! Rey J Kenobi slapped the back teeth out of the heavyweight champion’s mouth!_

Kylo stumbled back, the force of the hit stinging his cheek, shocking him into action again as he remembered where they were and what they were doing. Growling, he swung a vicious clothesline, Rey ducking under his arm to hit the ropes, rebounding back to hit him with a head scissor, jumping up to wrap her legs around his head and twisting her body around his to flip him to his back.

_Rey J Kenobi is taking it to Kylo Ren, rocking the UCW champion!_

Going for the pin, Kylo easily kicked out at 1, throwing her off his body and rolling to his feet. As Rey ran back towards him, he threw his arm back, elbowing her hard in the chest and sending her to the mat, the audience booing viciously while Kylo acted smug.

_And there is his, the heartless UCW champion catching Rey with a solid back elbow!_

Kylo sauntered around the ring to a chorus of taunts, Rey lying there acting as if he had genuinely struck her across the throat. As planned, he stood to face Hux and his back to Rey, his arms outstretched arrogantly as Rey kicked up her foot, catching him with a mock low blow.

_Oh, and THAT is going to sting more than just our champions ego!_

_You got that right, Rian, right in the baby maker and it’s just the opening that Rey needs to make a tag to her partner!_

It was all in the plan. Rey crawled towards Poe slowly while Kylo did the same thing in the direction of his own corner. Rey tagged in Poe as Kylo jumped forward to tag in Hux.

Only Hux was no longer there.

_Holy hell! Arm Hux just jumped down off the apron to miss the tag! He’s purposely missed the tag!_

Kylo lay there, his face incredulous and eyes wide as he glared at Hux, smiling at him smugly from ringside.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Kylo hissed, “You were supposed to take the tag!” Hux shrugged, his smile cold and vindictive.

“And you weren’t supposed to let your relationship get in the way of your job…but look how that worked out,” he sneered, “I’ll be taking that title from you soon enough…”

Poe paused. This wasn’t part of the planned match. Hux was supposed to be the final pin. Rushing forward as Rey climbed onto the apron, he did the only thing he could do to salvage the situation. He grabbed Kylo, pulling him against him so the taller man could hear him.

“Take the X-Wing Arrow!” he whispered, calling the audible to Kylo who pinched Poe’s side lightly, the silent indication that he had heard him and understood.

_Hux is leaving Kylo Ren high and dry, Poe Dameron hitting a beautiful X-Wing arrow! The referee is making the count and…THE RESISTANCE HAVE DONE IT! THE RESISTANCE HAVE TAKEN THE TITLES!_

It wasn’t how she had imagined it. Any of it. The crowd roared with abandon, the sound echoing with such volume that she could feel it through her bones as she joined Poe in the ring, Finn, and Snap running back down the ramp to slide between the ropes.

Her hands were shaking when the referee handed her the UCW women’s title belt. The leather and metal felt cool beneath her sweaty hands as she stared down at the belt in awe. Tears welled in her eyes and this time she felt no need to stop them. Everything else was complicated, she had no idea what tomorrow would bring but for now, this was the moment she had dreamed of since she was a child and damn it, she was going to enjoy it.

Kylo had rolled out of the ring, selling Poe’s final move and giving the Resistance space to celebrate their main event win. As she stood on the turnbuckle, holding her title high above her head, orange and white confetti raining down on the ring, Kylo glanced up at the woman he loved, and he smiled.

_Fuck Snoke._

 


	19. Truly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Sorry for the delay in updating. Those that know me know that I usually like to update far more frequently but this past week at university has been heavy as hell and I had to focus on that.
> 
> I have the remainder of this story mapped out and I know where it's going, I'm still loving writing it and I'll be sad when it ends but I'm not the type to drag out a story for the sake of a large chapter count! We're on the home stretch now.
> 
> As always, please keep your comments coming cause I love reading them and they make Uni hell totally worth it!

[](https://imgur.com/r3rDehj)

 “How dare you! Your arrogant, selfish actions could have ruined the entire main event!”

Emerging back through the curtain having closed the show, Leia’s irate voice was the first Rey heard. Her newly won championship belt still slung over her shoulder as she pushed the black fabric aside, Leia stood in front of Hux, her face slightly pink from shouting. Hux, on the other hand, stood there with his jaw clenched, his lip curled arrogantly.

“Ruined? I did what was _best_ for the match!” Hux shot back, “You said it yourself, The First Order is starting to crumble, we lost two championships…I just accelerated the story outcome!”

“You didn’t have the right!” Leia snapped, “That was _not_ your call to make, especially without telling anyone else in the match. If it wasn’t for Poe and Kylo’s professionalism the whole thing could have been ruined,”

“Professionalism? You call Ren making heart eyes at his girlfriend in the middle of the match professionalism!?” he spat.

“You are going to be fined by head office, how much is yet to be determined…get out of my sight!”

An uncomfortable silence fell amongst the group standing by the curtain, nobody daring to make a sound as Hux growled at Leia, snorting when he turned on his heel to march towards the showers, leaving Leia standing there with the remaining match participants.

Phasma stared at Rey, while a smile graced her red painted lips, her ice blue eyes narrowed with contempt.

“Well done,” she said coolly, “I look forward to our rematch tomorrow night,”

Her body stiff, shoulders tense, Phasma left no room for a reply, turning from the newly crowned champion to follow Hux down the hall. Rey’s eyes followed the other woman, a light frown etched on her features until Mitaka spoke.

“Hey, thank you for the match,” He said with a warm smile, extending his hand to Poe and Finn, “You guys were awesome, you too Rey, congratulations!” The sincerity in the smaller man’s voice brought a genuine smile to Rey’s face, helping to quell the annoyance Phasma’s attitude had caused.

“Thank you, man, that’s really cool of you,” Finn said, shaking Mitaka’s hand enthusiastically. Mitaka shrugged.

“Hey… _some_ people around here seem to forget that it’s all storylines,” Mitaka smirked, “I’m not one of them,”

“And thank God for that!” Leia sighed, “Congratulations all of you, despite some _technical difficulties_ that was tremendous. You should all be very proud! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some calls to make…head office is going to be having a fit…”

“Oh, hey, we’re going to be having some drinks to celebrate,” Poe said to Mitaka, “Do you want to join us?” Mitaka nodded.

“That sounds great!”

“Rey, you in? There’s no way you’re backing out tonight!”

“Uh…sure…” she answered absently, her eyes locked on Kylo.

Poe clapped Mitaka on the back, Finn following as the three wrestlers set off towards the locker rooms, merrily chatting amongst themselves as they walked.

From the moment she had stepped through the curtain, he had been there, casually leaning against the wall with his belt in his hand, conspicuously silent while his Mother had screamed at Hux. Through the distraction of it all, his eyes had been on her the whole time, patiently waiting until the fray and the barrier of people had cleared until only the two of them remained.

Still high on the adrenaline of their performance, her lip trembled as they stared at one another, the air charged between them. Kylo was the first to move, pushing himself from the wall to step closer to her.

“Rey…”

Her grip loosened on the belt, slipping from her shoulder as the leather slid down her rapidly cooling, sweat covered skin, the metal of the large front plate clanging against the concrete floor. She didn’t look twice, ignoring the fallen title as she rushed towards him, throwing herself at his body, Kylo abandoning his own championship belt to the floor as he held her tightly, her arms locked behind his neck and legs wrapped firmly around his waist.

She was like oxygen after being trapped in a burning building, the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted as he kissed her passionately, her hands tangling in his hair and her cheeks damp. Pulling back, still cradling her body in one arm, he wiped away her stray tears with his free hand, his eyes soft.

“Don’t cry sweetheart,” he whispered with a faint smile, “I’ve got you,”

“Say it again,” Rey breathed her voice a soft plea, begging for the confirmation that she hadn’t been mistaken. His smile widened, his large hand cupping her chin.

“I love you, Rey,” he declared, “I’ve never loved anything the way I love you and I am _so_ proud of you!”

A noise akin to a sob escaped her throat, pulling him back to her urgently as she kissed him her silent reply, feeling him smile against her lips.

“I’m sorry!” she sniffed, “I shouldn’t have walked away…I could have stayed…I could…”

“Shh, it’s alright. It doesn’t matter anymore, okay?” he soothed, “What matters is that we’re together and we’re staying together,” Her body beginning to ache, Rey carefully unhinged her legs from around his torso, sliding to the floor but still very much in his arms.

“What do we do now?” she asked fearfully, “Snoke…he’s going to know…” Kylo’s jaw tightened, a glint of determination in his dark eyes.

“We’re going to lawyer up,” He replied firmly, “We’re going to go to Leia and Luke and we’re going to fight whatever he tries to do. He can’t fire either of us, not when we’ve done nothing wrong and especially not when the fans are so behind us!”

She nodded apprehensively. While her confidence was bolstered by how sure he sounded, her spirit restored knowing they were together, there was still an undercurrent of tension knowing that Snoke wouldn’t go down without a fight. Kylo tilted her chin, using gentle force so she would meet his eyes.

“Tonight, isn’t about that okay? We’re not going to think about it. Tonight is all about you and that title…sitting over there on the floor,” he smirked, “So, lets pick up these belts cause I’m pretty sure leaving them on the floor is frowned upon, let’s get dressed and as much as I’d love to just throw you over my shoulder and take you back our hotel room…tonight isn’t about me,” Rey pouted, her lip petted in exaggeration.

“What if I wanted to go back to the hotel?” she quipped playfully, running her hand over his bare chest, inciting a groan from the man.

“It’s your big win,” Kylo insisted with difficulty, “You’ll regret it if you don’t and your friends will want you to be there!”

“I guess you’re right,” she smiled, “Suppose I should pick this up!” Awkwardly she skipped over to the women’s championship still lying abandoned on the floor. Grabbing the belt, she let it loop into the crook of her elbow as Kylo picked up his own, his free arm draping over her shoulders to begin their slow saunter towards the locker rooms.

“By the way, we have _got_ to talk about your slapping technique…”

00000

Since there wasn’t a bar within a 10-mile radius of the Levis stadium that didn’t contain a wrestling fan, the hotel included, the afterparty was less of a formal affair and more multiple parties across the floor that hosted the most wrestlers.

While Kylo, Rey, Mitaka and Snap’s rooms were on the 3rd floor, the whole 5th floor had been taken up by UCW wrestlers and employees, all keen to cut loose and relax after months of build up towards the biggest show of their calendar.

Poe had managed to sweet talk the front desk into upgrading his room, the result being that since his room was larger, more people could fit, and soon he found the bathtub of the suite filled with ice and various bottles. Music blasted from a Bluetooth speaker as people laughed and celebrated, some of the more intoxicated folk wrestling on the bed in jest.

In the corner of the room, Kylo sat on one of the suite sofas, Rey comfortably in his lap while Finn next to Rose opposite, popping the caps on the beer in the center of the table in front.

“I’m not sure I need another one,” Rey groaned, “I’ve only had two and it’s going straight to my head!”

“That’s what you get for not eating half the day,” Finn scolded, “Honestly, you’d think you had been nervous!” Rey leaned forward, grabbing an empty can from the table and throwing it at Finn, her friend dodging the projectile with his tongue out.

“Seriously though, you guys were amazing tonight!” Rose gushed, “Man, I can’t believe it’s over!”

“Until next year,” Kylo smiled, “Plenty of time to start planning for Starkiller all over again,”

“ _And_ Rey gets her first title defense tomorrow night!” Rose continued, “Are you nervous?” Rey swigged her beer, shrugging.

“Not about having the title. I mean, it’s crazy but I worked for it, you know? I feel ready, but Gwen has been so weird. I can’t tell where I stand with her,”

“Must be hard though,” Rose said, and Rey frowned, her hand absently playing with the back of Kylo’s hair.

“Well think about it? Gwen is 39 years old. For guys, it’s no big deal but for women, that’s practically ancient!” Rose said, “She doesn’t have kids, she isn’t married. She’s given everything to wrestling and now she’s having to give up her throne, so to speak, to the younger generation. That has to be a bitter pill to swallow!”

“It’s not like they can force her to retire or anything!” Rey scoffed, “She can still work! We’ve all seen her…”

“Can she?” Rose asked warily, “Think about it. How many times have you had to slow down your offense to let her catch up? Or had to cover for her sloppy call? She isn’t unsafe or anything, but she’s not looking as hot as she used to,”

Rey’s head tipped to Kylo’s shoulder, her eyes far away as she pondered Rose’s statement. It hadn’t occurred to her before but the more she thought about it, suddenly she realized that her friend was right. Phasma wasn’t as quick as Rey remembered her to be in her younger years from watching the tapes. She was getting sloppy, slowing down where she shouldn’t be and more than once, as Rose had said, Rey had needed to lessen her pace so that Phasma could keep up.

In a strange way, she pitied the woman.

“Well, nevertheless, she could stand to be a bit politer,” Rey said, “Nobody likes a bitter old has been…”

“Ouch. Better not let her hear you calling her that, especially since you’re the one holding that title now!” Finn quipped.

Rey giggled, her eyes falling on Poe at another part of the room, sitting engrossed in what looked like a serious conversation with Paige.

“Hey, what’s happening over there?” Rey nodded, the three following her line of sight. Rose rolled her eyes, looking away.

“Don’t. I already told her she’d be crazy to fall for it again but hey, what do I know? I’m just her sister who loves her and wants what’s best for her,” Rose muttered bitterly, “I’m sorry babe, I know he’s your best friend…”

“Look, I love him, but he fucked up. I can’t defend that,” Finn said, holding his hands up, “But…Paige is a big girl, you have to let her make her own choices,”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Rose sighed, “but anyway, speaking of couples who actually stand a chance…are you two all loved up again?”

“We never stopped,” Kylo mumbled, Rey kissing him on the cheek.

“Yes, everything is fine,” she smiled, “Well…sort of. We’re together and that’s how it’s going to stay anyway,”

“What about Snoke?” Finn asked, “Isn’t he dead set on keeping you guys apart?”

“He can try!” Kylo growled, “I let him get into my head once, it’s not going to happen again. Tomorrow we’re going to speak to Leia,”

“Well, you’ve got the fans behind you, that’s for sure,” Rose smirked, “Reylo…”

“Oh God,” Kylo moaned, “Don’t tell me you search those sites too,”

“What can I say, I love me a fandom!” Rose grinned, enjoying every moment of Kylo’s mortification, “Well, I am heading out to the balcony for some air and you, mister, are joining me!” Rose smiled, standing up and removing Finn’s beer from his hand. The dark man frowned in confusion.

“I am?” he whined, “But I’m comfortable…” Rose threw him a pointed glance.

“ _Yes_ , Finn,” she hissed, “Some alone time would do _everyone_ some good!” Taking the hint, Finn allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, leaving the other couple alone, hidden away in the corner of the room.

Slowly, the party was winding down, exhausted wrestlers too full of alcohol to keep their eyes open after such a long day. The music continued to blast but nobody really seemed bothered enough to listen.

“Some alone time would _definitely_ do us some good,” Kylo drawled, Rey’s eyes rolling back, inhaling a sharp breath as his lips gently kissed the soft skin below her ear. His voice low and rough, a shiver ran along her spine as his hands ghosted the skin below the hem of her tee shirt.

“One night apart and you’re already pent up?” Rey teased, but Kylo’s face grew serious, a furrow taking over his brows.

“Thinking that I’d lost you for good was the worst pain I’ve ever felt,” He said seriously, “I don’t want to waste another second,”

“I’m here now, I’m not going anywhere,” she promised. His dark eyes gazed up at her, brushing her hair gently from her cheek, his hand warm and soft against her skin as she leaned into his touch. It was easy to forget they were surrounded by others when he was looking at her like she was the most precious person in the world.

“Truly?” he asked.

Rey snorted, her hand quickly covering her mouth to hide the strange way it was contorting as she tried not to laugh out loud.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing, _Mr. Darcy_ ,” Rey jibed, “Didn’t realize we’d fallen back into the eighteen-hundreds!”

“It’s a perfectly legitimate word!”

“Yeah, if you’re a Jane Austin character trying to find a wife!” she sniggered, “That word is ridiculous used in a modern setting!” Kylo rolled his eyes, his mouth an unimpressed line while the tips of his ears flared pink beneath his pitch hair.

“We were having a nice, tender moment and you go picking up on grammar,” he muttered. Rey smiled sweetly, her fist slyly bunching the collar of his tee shirt.

“What if I don’t want you to be nice?” she purred, bringing Kylo to full attention as she lightly ground in his lap. Quirking an eyebrow, it was the only sign she had affected him at all, the wrestler using all his control to keep his face level.

“Is that so?” he replied with a sly smile, “and how should I be sweetheart? The thing about loving someone, you do kinda want to be nice to them…” Leaning closer to his ear, he shivered as her breath contacted his skin, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end while the signals made their way directly south of his belt.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure it out… _Daddy_ ,”

That did it. That damn word out of her mouth whispered sultrily into his ear and any semblance of control he had left was evaporated. The whole evening since they had made it to Poe’s room he had been telling himself that this was her night, to let her enjoy herself with her friends, to make an effort to be social. She’d spent the majority of the party on his lap, her ass directly grinding against his crotch with just a little more pressure than was natural.

_Fucking tease_

His hand snaked up behind her neck, gently wrapping his fingers in her soft tresses and tightening ever so slightly, just enough for tension to pull at her roots and a barely audible gasp to escape her smiling lips. If this was how he wanted to make up for lost time, who cared if it was only one day.

Rey was all in.

Smiling smugly, Kylo gestured for her to stand.

“Time to go,”

00000

There was nothing graceful or elegant about the way they stumbled into the hotel room, pausing for frantic, desperate kisses every few steps, Kylo shoving Rey against whatever wall was closest and holding her there with his body. Anyone who happened to pass them would be under no illusion as to what they were doing, Rey’s hair tie lost somewhere between the 5th and 3rd floor while Kylo’s neck was stained with faint traces of lipstick.

Throwing the door open to rush inside, Kylo literally grabbed her around the waist, throwing her body on the large bed, a squeak escaping Rey’s mouth unbidden at the sudden movement. They wasted little time, pulling at each other’s clothes with unhindered enthusiasm until the floor of the hotel room was littered with stray garments, both reduced to a naked, panting tangle of limbs on the bed.

He grunted as her hands found their way into his hair, tightening on the inky tresses, pulling at his scalp and she gasped as he returned the favour, forcing her head back to growl down at her. There would be time for tender and sweet another day, for now, she was staring up at him, her chest heaving as she breathed hard, daring him to do his worst.

Grabbing her wrists, her grip immediately released, her body relaxing enough that he could manipulate her exactly how he wanted. Sitting back high onto his knees, he hovered above her, gripping her hips tightly so he could turn her onto her stomach.

She shivered feeling his hand run along the skin of her bare back, caressing the curve of her ass and pushing her thighs apart, a satisfied hum reaching her ears as he slowly dragged a single digit between her already soaked folds.

“Hmm wet for me already,” he purred, “Such a good girl,” grasping her hips once more, he roughly pulled her up to all fours, smiling possessively at the sight of her spread and waiting for him, one hand stroking her back while the other teased.

“Ben…please…”

A sharp crack echoed, a strangled gasp ripping from her throat as his palm connected with her ass, the hot sting spreading along her skin immediately soothed by his touch. She knew he could hit so much harder, using just enough force that she could feel it without the spanking blow crossing a line. The strange mixture of pain and pleasure stoked the fire burning in her gut.

“Is that what you’re supposed to call me, sweetheart?”

“N..No…I’m sorry, Daddy,” she muttered, doing her best to sound as contrite as possible despite the excitement boiling in her blood. If he was going to play his part, and oh how he played it well, Rey was determined to play along.

“That’s better,” he replied through gritted teeth, hissing as he ground himself through her slicked cunt, her hips pushing back to gain further friction and relief.

“Please don’t tease me anymore Daddy,” she groaned, “I need you…”

“Oh, I know what you need,” he said smugly, “You _did_ say you didn’t want me to be nice…”

Gripping her tightly, his fingers digging into the soft skin of her thighs, he thrust forward viciously, the force knocking her to her forearms as she cried out with the sudden sensation of being filled. There was no respite, Kylo setting a brutal pace as he began to pound into her, the sound of skin meeting skin joining the symphony of ecstasy filled moans.

“You feel so good baby, you take my cock so well…” he praised. One hand still on her hips, the other trailed along her spine, splaying between her shoulder blades to push her upper body further down, pinning her body to the mattress, the new angle pushing him deeper.

Helpless below him, there was nothing she could do but lay there and take the mauling he was giving her, gripping the sheets until her knuckles turned white as she moaned into the pillow.

_I’ll need to ask him not to be nice more often…_

“My dirty girl likes it rough,” he growled through panted breath, “I can _feel_ how badly you need to cum. Your cunts practically throbbing for me…”

“Please Daddy…please,”

“And you beg so nicely,” he purred, “You can cum baby…cum for Daddy,”

Increasing his hold on her body, his other arm snaked around her hips, teasing her sensitive cunt with alternating patterns, her eyes rolling back as she gave in, molten hot pressure breaking over her body as she came with a ragged scream, gushing over his cock. His hips stuttered, his thrusts growing erratic until he followed with one final, violent snap of his hips, spilling into her with a moan.

Pulling from her, his seed dripping down her thighs as he collapsed next to her, both breathing hard and covered in a sheen of sweat, he pulled her body into his arms.

“And to think…we were only separated for one day,” Rey commented, “Imagine how we’d be if it were longer?”

“I’d rather not,” Kylo said plainly, “We’re together now. End of story,” Rey sat up to look down at him, a peculiar glint in her eye and a barely concealed smirk on her face.

“Truly?”

“…Fuck you,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a transitional chapter I found and I mainly just wanted my babies to have some make-up sex...
> 
> And what's my deal with the word Truly? I think it's hilarious and cringe when people get Kylo/Ben to say it unironically. So this is my own little passive-aggressive swipe at the word Truly ;)


	20. Stiff Right Hand

[](https://imgur.com/MUW5mM9)

Sitting in the dull early morning light of her hotel room, Phasma was scrolling through her phone, scanning the various sites but all showed the same thing.

_Rey J Kenobi_

Pictures of the young girl in the ring mid-match, of her holding her newly won title belt high above her head in front of the cheering crowd, confetti raining down on the canvas.

That had been her once.

She came from a time when there wasn’t a wrestling school in every city when women were seen as oddities, sideshows. Every week she saved what little money she had to travel to the infamous ‘Snake Pit’ in Wigan, England to learn true catch wrestling from masters like Roy Wood and Billy Riley. She was the only woman there and on more than a few occasions, the other trainees had been rough with her, purposely trying to scare her off.

Nevertheless, she persisted.

She reaped the rewards of her hard work, of all her sacrifices, joining UCW to build the women’s division from the ground up, but these girls, full of fire and determination, armed with all the opportunities that she was never given, they had something else on their side.

Youth.

Approaching 40, it was almost unheard of that a female wrestler would still _want_ to be working in the ring. She could train as hard as she liked, run all the drills, study her tapes but when it came down to it, the younger generation simply had the advantage. They weren’t marred with various injuries built up from years in the ring, they didn’t feel the aches and pains quite so acutely, late nights into early mornings weren’t a chore.

She tried. Oh, how she tried to get along, to be a role model, a mentor to these young women and some of them she genuinely did like on a certain level. Rey was no exception, but there was only so much goodwill and support you could give out when you knew they would knife you in the back the second they had their chance.

_Youth is wasted on the young…_

Sneering, she threw her phone on the bed, her stomach knotting at the sight of the comments. It wasn’t something she needed to see. There were women who retired before her, who happily gave a push to the younger generation, putting them over, dropping their titles with a smile and a proud handshake. They were ready to leave.

Gwendoline Phasma was not.

What did she have to go home and be excited about outside of wrestling? She wasn’t married, only dating a younger man who was turning out to be more self-centred than she ever imagined. She had no children because who had the time to take over a year out of training and working? Having children, while it wasn’t something she was against, would have been terribly inconvenient at the height of her career.

Sitting in the dark of her hotel room, alone, Phasma began to wonder if it was all worth it.

This was the beginning of the end. First, they would take her title, then slowly, insidiously they would begin to cut her schedule until she was only working house shows. Appearances and signings would be taken from her and soon, it would be _suggested_ that she took some time off.

No, that would not be how her story ended and if they were going to make her go, it would not be quiet.

00000

There was a certain freedom that came with not giving a fuck about what people thought.

Waking up next to Kylo late the following morning had felt right, falling straight back into a comfortable routine, their blip of a separation all but forgotten as Rey stretched lazily, huffing a giggle under her breath when his large arms tightened around her.

Eventually, she convinced him that they had to leave the room. There were too many important things to be done, namely their meeting with Leia and the small matter of the live TV show where Phasma would rematch for the title. Thanks to their late night they had already slept too long.

It wasn’t that they had been overly cautious before but in public and around fans they had always been a little more discreet, especially once their news had broken on the dirt sheets. Deciding that one scare of separation was enough, defiantly they walked together hand in hand through the hotel lobby. Curious fans, quickly realizing who they were, grabbed at their phones, snapping pictures in a less than subtle fashion.

“We’ll be all over twitter right about now,” Rey teased, Kylo rolling his eyes in good nature. As far as he was concerned they could be front page news wherever, as long as she was with him, he didn’t care.

The TV taping for the evening would be smaller than Starkiller and they made their way towards the Santa Clara Convention Centre, immediately seeking where Leia would be working, finding her in one of the smaller dressing rooms with a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign hanging on the door.

“I had a look over your contracts after you called me,” Leia said carefully, “I have good news and I have bad news,”

“Okay…and they are?” Kylo prompted, sitting next to Rey on the other side of Leia’s temporary desk. Leia picked up a set of papers.

“This is your contract, Rey. Now it states that a newly crowned champion cannot be fired without due cause, so something that would fall under gross misconduct. I searched through the rules and having a relationship with a co-worker doesn’t even come into play here. If he tries to fire you, you’ve got grounds to take him for everything,” she declared, Rey flicking through her contract and reading the highlighted notes confirming what Leia told her.

“So, what’s the bad news?” Rey asked tentatively, watching Leia’s face fall.

“Ben, your contract is different. It’s older but it’s still valid, clearly the same one you signed years ago,” she said, disappointment coloring her words, “It’s locked tight. It basically says that Snoke has control over almost everything you do…did you even read it before you signed it?!”

“Of course, I did!” Kylo scowled indignantly, “I wasn’t exactly thinking properly at the time…” he added under the scrutiny of his Mother’s withering stare.

“What can we do?” Rey asked, pulling the attention away from the touchy subject of Kylo’s defection, “There has to be something,”

“I’m going to get my lawyers onto this,” Leia promised, “See if we can do anything about Ben’s contract. For now, it’s business as usual…we still have a company to run, shows to put on and fans to keep happy. The fact you both have such a huge following works in your favor. Keep your heads down, don’t do anything to attract too much attention, alright?”

“Would we do that?” Kylo shrugged sarcastically, Leia’s face unimpressed and sardonic as ever.

“I don’t know? Does mouthing ‘I Love You’ in the middle of the ring in front of eighty thousand people count?” she replied dryly, “Don’t get me wrong, it was darling and I’m very happy for you both but there were _live_ cameras Benjamin and they were all on your face…”

Rey covered her mouth, giggling as a blush crawled over his cheeks, his eyes sheepishly cast to the ground and the tips of his ears turning pink.

“I don’t know what you’re laughing at, you were just as bad!” Leia cried, “Replying in kind before slapping the taste of out his mouth. The cameras caught all of it!” Immediately Rey stopped her laughter, mortification widening her eyes as her cheeks turned scarlet.

“As I said, darling, all of it…but you two seem to love making my job harder,” She smiled, “It’s like keeping in character isn’t a concept to either of you!”

A knock sounded at the door, all three turning to look as Leia called for the person to enter.

“Leia, you wanted to see me…oh, look who it is,” The arrogant smile on Hux’s face twisted into a distasteful sneer the moment he laid eyes on Kylo, the other man’s jaw clenched tightly, his back teeth grinding in a bid to keep his emotions in check.

“I did,” she replied curtly, “Come in and I expect everyone in this room to remain civil!”

Hux sauntered over to a chair, sitting himself down with an air of confidence.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” he shrugged, “Now, what can I do for you?”

“As you know, there is normally a rematch for titles once they change hands but thanks to your little stunt last night, you and Mitaka won’t be receiving one,” She explained evenly, surprised when Hux barely flinched.

“It doesn’t matter, we won’t be needing them,” he said flippantly.

“How nice of you to decide that for your teammate…”

“We won’t be needing one because I am no longer going to be a tag team wrestler,” Hux continued in his condescending tone, “I want the world heavyweight title…”

“Who are you fucking kidding?!” Kylo suddenly shouted incredulously, the calm confidence on Hux’s face contorting into disgust as he shot to his feet, Kylo following suit towering over the smaller man.

“I think _I’m_ the one who changed the landscape of this company in one move letting the champion get pinned in the ring!” Hux challenged, “And it’s time for a change!”

“You think you can be me?” Kylo shot back, “You think you can do my job? Take all those bumps? The meetings, the conference calls, the signings, the appearances, the training…you think _you_ can carry all of that on your back? Hell, I’d fucking _love_ to watch you try you arrogant little bastard,”

“I am ten times the wrestler you are Solo! I always have been so tell Snoke you want to put your title on the line…given how you’ve been acting I’m sure he’ll have no issue with the request…”

“Fuck you!”

“That’s enough boys!” Leia screamed over the din, Rey having jumped from her own chair to try and step in between the wrestlers before things came to blows, “I told you to remain civil so shut the fuck up before I throw you _both_ out of this arena!”

Both breathing hard, chests heaving, they separated. Kylo moving back to his chair while Hux remained standing.

“You are in no position to demand any championship match, Hux,” Leia said evenly, “If you have a problem then take it up with upper management, I don’t care at this stage! We have a show to do tonight. _That_ is the priority. Once we’re back in New York we can sort out this whole mess,”

“Believe me, I will!” Hux snapped, “Mark my words…your days as champion are numbered!”

The door slamming behind the former tag team champion echoed around the room, Leia lightly groaning as she rubbed her hands over her tired face.

“Who even talks like that?” Kylo muttered to himself in annoyance, Rey giving his arm a comforting squeeze, “I don’t even care about having the damn belt,”

“Well, the company does so please… _please_ , for now, let’s all just calm down and do our jobs?” Leia pleaded, “It’s not like I have a show to run or anything,”

“We will, Leia. I promise,” Rey smiled, the older woman shooting her a grateful glance.

“Now I believe you have a match to prepare for. Go, go and get ready and enjoy yourself! Making your first entrance as champion is something to be remembered!”

Although she beamed proudly, Rey thought back to what Rose had told her about Phasma the night before and all she felt was the bittersweet turmoil of being the one to strike down the last of the old guard.

00000

Rey’s heart pounded as she stood next to the curtain, bouncing on the balls of her feet to try and subdue the nervous energy running through her body. Holding her by the shoulders Kylo gazed down at her proudly.

“Let me get a good look at you,” he said with mock scrutiny, his eyes taking her all in, “Okay…gear is on. That’s a good start! You’ve remembered your belt, very important for a champion. Boots are laced. Don’t want to be tripping when you go down the ramp…okay, you pass inspection!” He grinned at her, his easy manner helping to distract from her turbulent emotions.

“I’m so nervous,” she muttered, shaking her hands out.

“Don’t be,” Kylo said firmly, “Sweetheart, I’m so proud of you. You have _got this_. I’ll be watching right here at the monitor. Go. Go and be amazing!”

Phasma watched from the side as she stretched, a barely concealed growl gracing her ruby lips. The girl really had it all. A promising career that blossomed more every week, a growing loyal fan base, a young and beautiful body, a man that loved her and on top of it all, a championship title that would ensure she was always remembered in wrestling history.

The music began to play, Phasma as the challenger to emerge first.

“Good luck stay safe!” Rey said, the mantra that almost all wrestlers told each other in some variation before going to the ring, her hand outstretched to shake since they weren’t close enough as friends to hug.

Phasma stared down at the girls’ hand, wordlessly turning from her to make her entrance.

00000

“The following contest is set for one fall and is for the UCW Women’s championship! Introducing the challenger, making her way to the ring, from Cambridge, England, Phasma!”

_Welcome to UCW live from a sold-out Santa Clara Convention Center here in California! The fallout of Starkiller has been insane so far and coming up now we have the hotly anticipated rematch for the UCW Women’s Championship!_

Phasma barely heard the crowd as she walked down the ramp confidently, the roar of the people bypassing her as she climbed through the ropes. Usually, she would pander, goad the crowd into throwing as much abuse at her as possible, resulting in the face getting an even bigger response.

Why bother?

What was the point when Rey was already the star of the show, the new head of the women’s division. No matter what Phasma did, the young girl was going to get a pop from the crowd.

“and her opponent, making her way to the ring from London, England. She is the UCW Women’s Champion, Rey J. Kenobi!”

_This Rey J. Kenobi has had such a whirlwind introduction here in UCW, arriving only months ago to join The Resistance and finally, last night at Starkiller, dethroning that woman, Phasma, for her women’s championship!_

The crowd screamed and cheered their appreciation as Rey bounced down the ramp proudly, soaking in the atmosphere and reveling in the feeling of being announced as a champion. She stood boldly on the top of the turnbuckle, the belt raised high above her head as Phasma stood in the opposite corner, her face chillingly blank.

Rey handed her belt to the referee, the man holding it above his head to the audience in a silent signal that this was what the match was all for.

_Of course, tonight, Rey has the champion’s advantage. The title can only change hands via pinfall or submission. Disqualifications do not count!_

Sizing Phasma up, Rey circled the taller woman, preparing to lock up as they had previously spoken about. Planning the match had been a short, uncomfortable conversation, Phasma mainly telling her that they would start with some catch wrestling and then call the rest as an audible. Rey hadn’t been about to argue. She had plenty of experience working on the fly and if that was what the older woman wanted, so be it.

Stepping in to lock up, Rey’s arms were outstretched and loose as they should be. There was no way she could have defended herself from the sudden thundering slap that connected with her face, knocking her to the mat, the heel of Phasma’s hand cracking her on the jaw.

_Oh my God, and Phasma straight away going in hard on the offense with a hellacious right hand straight to Rey Kenobi!_

Her head was spinning as she slowly picked herself up from the mat, the whole side of her face burning and aching from the impact. Bringing her fingers to her mouth, she pulled them away to see crimson mixed with her saliva, the coppery taste invading her mouth.

As she struggled to her feet, her vision clearing from the hit, Rey could briefly hear the referee whispering to Phasma to lighten up. She couldn’t help but agree.

Standing her full height, her light eyes cold, Phasma grabbed Rey roughly by the strap of her gear to haul her to her feet, swinging her fist back to collide with her cheek as the audience screamed in protest, following her second punch with a sharp, solid kick to the ribs of the young champion.

_Referee this is uncalled for! Things have broken down here already in this championship match, Phasma pulling nothing on Kenobi._

Her jaw ached, her ribs were burning, and she was sure her eye was swelling as the blood she spat stained the white canvas. She needed time to breathe, to think, but the assault was unrelenting as Phasma continued to stalk her around the ring.

“You did this to me!” Phasma shouted, mounting her body as Rey covered her head with her forearms to try and protect herself, “You think this is your time? It’s still my time!”

_Rey Kenobi looks like she’s in real trouble here! She’s bleeding, Phasma has busted her open at the eyebrow, her mouth is a mess, the referee needs to stop this match!_

The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly tense, the booing from the crowd shifting from pantomime to that of genuine anguish and discomfort as they began to see the fourth wall break away before their eyes.

Grabbing her around the waist, the referee pulled Phasma away, offering Rey some respite from the onslaught on her body as she lay panting for breath, spots dancing in front of her vision. Glassy-eyed, she shakily tried to push herself up, her ribs protesting. She had a job to do, a match to complete.

She was a champion, after all.

00000

“Holy shit!” Mitaka exclaimed, “Did you see that slap?!”

Kylo scowled as he watched the monitor backstage, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. The force Phasma had used was uncalled for, knocking Rey to the mat when she had clearly expected a lock up.

He watched intently, his eyes locked on the screen as Phasma rounded on Rey, grabbing her by the gear and landing a solid punch to the smaller woman’s face, kicking her square in the ribs with the full force she could muster.

“What the fuck is she doing?” Kylo muttered to himself, his jaw grinding as she set about her ground and pound, screaming down at Rey something about it still being her time.

“Dude, I think Phasma’s lost it…” Mitaka wondered, “There’s no way that’s planned…Fuck, Rey’s bleeding,”

Nostrils flaring, Kylo grabbed a towel from the pile next to the ice bucket, marching towards the curtain.

“Where are you going?!”

“To stop this fucking match!”

_What the…It’s…Kylo Ren?! What in the hell is going on? Kylo Ren is here at ringside!_

Towel in hand, his feet pounded the ramp as he ran towards the ring, the crowd cheering rapturously in relief as he jumped onto the apron throwing the towel into the center of the ring, the bellman immediately ringing for the match to stop.

The referee struggled to hold Phasma back, the woman feral and vicious as she screamed across the canvas, Kylo using his superior build to barge the woman physically off Rey’s prone, beaten body. Other’s slid between the ropes. Rose, Paige, Finn, Mitaka, Poe, all grabbing the woman and holding her down. He had been so focused on Rey,  Kylo hadn’t even noticed the other wrestlers following him down the ramp.

“It was my time! MINE! You stole that from me!” Phasma screamed tears slid unchecked down her face, uncaring for the audience that watched on in horror or the live cameras that tracked her every move as she was forced from the ring.

Kylo didn’t care about that, hovering over Rey where she lay. A nasty gash had been opened just below her right eyebrow, trailing blood down the side of her face. Her mouth was bleeding and her jaw was swollen. Weakly, she smiled up at him.

“Bet my slap looks tame now,” she tried to joke, her breathing labored and Kylo unable to offering anything other than a faint smile in return.

“Don’t try to move, you’ll be alright,” he promised, brushing her hair out of her face and turning to the security at ringside, “Get a damn stretcher!”

The audience had since stopped their din, slowly muting to an awkward, tense murmur as the EMTs rushed down the ramp, the 20,000 strong crowds watching in horror at the aftermath of a match gone awry. There was no villain to boo anymore, no face to cheer for, no storyline to follow like a soap opera that would pull them away from their real lives.

Instead, they were being forced to watch a man worry over the woman he loved, anguish clear on his face, as she was carefully placed on the stretcher.

The only sound that followed was the respectful applause as she was taken backstage.

00000

“Jesus Christ,” Leia gasped, meeting them as they appeared through the side curtain, “We have an ambulance waiting. You’re gone to be fine Rey, you’re a tough girl!” Rey could only offer a weak, disoriented nod as a reply, too exhausted and dizzy to do much else.

“Where is Gwen?” Kylo ground out as they continued to march through the back of the arena, following the stretcher towards the back parking lot where the ambulance was waiting.

“She’s being dealt with!” Leia said firmly, “And not by you. Your job is to stay with Rey, I’m going to sort this riot!”

The parking lot of the arena was thankfully empty, save for a few cars and a drabble of fans who waited by the far barrier to try and catch a glimpse of their favorite wrestler, luckily too far to see anything in detail.

Kylo watched on as they folded the stretcher to pull Rey into the ambulance. She was still conscious but her far away, bleary eyes worried him, certain that she was going to have suffered a concussion. Moments from following her into the vehicle, an unwelcome voice gave him pause.

“Unfortunate,”

Kylo turned to glare at Snoke, the man standing with an indifferent expression in his aged, cold eyes, dressed impeccably as always. Rarely did Snoke leave the safety of his production unit whenever he was on the road.

“I don’t have time for this,” Kylo barked, “You want to lecture or whatever the fuck else, do it later,” Snoke smiled patiently.

“There won’t be a lecture, Kylo. Clearly, you’ve made your decision, interrupting a live show, going off script…stopping a match…”

“Gwen was out of control and you know it!” Kylo spat, “She wasn’t just working stiff, she was purposely hurting Rey…what the fuck else was I supposed to do?! You know what you’re nothing but a cold, sad little man who wants to control everyone around you…”

“Well then, you’ll be pleased to hear that you’re suspended until further notice…until I decide what do with you,” Snoke replied darkly, a cruel smile on his thin lips.

Kylo sneered, watching the old man walk away with a self-satisfied swagger.

“Sir, are you coming in the ambulance? We need to get this woman to a hospital,”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m coming,”

The ambulance door closed, the flashing lights bathing the waiting fans in blue as it passed.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering how an ambulance got there so quickly...it's common for big wrestling companies to have an ambulance on standby in case of emergencies so there isn't a waiting time getting someone to a hospital in case of serious injury.


	21. The Wrestler Hall of Fame Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may notice the chapter count has been updated. It _might_ increase but I have plans for how the end of this story will play out!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, commenting, chatting to me about it! I hope you're all enjoying <3

[](https://imgur.com/mj4NcWx)

One cracked rib, a few more bruised.

A chipped back molar.

A grade 2 concussion.

A multitude of purple and blue blemishes marring her body and face.

Kylo had ground his teeth listening to the doctor list the various injuries that Phasma had inflicted on Rey during their championship match, nostrils flaring as he paced the hall during her examination having been banished by the physician. He had screamed down the phone to anyone he could get hold of, demanding to know where Phasma had gone, if she was still at the hotel so he could personally show to the woman how irate he was.

Poe and Finn both reminded him that assaulting a woman was not a good look on anybody, no matter what she had done. He was rarely violent unless pushed outside the ring, and _never_ towards a woman, but seeing his girlfriend lying in a hospital bed after what should have been a proud moment in her career was doing nothing for his rational train of thought.

An overnight stay for observation and Rey had been allowed to go home with a set of strict instructions, Kylo ignoring the prepaid tickets from the company to purchase first class seats for the journey. Anything to make her more comfortable. He fretted over her constantly, allowing her to do absolutely nothing taxing.

She was hurting, he could see it. Given painkillers for her ribs and jaw, told strictly to keep sleeping to small bursts, Kylo was also instructed to monitor her concussion as best he could, watching for signs of memory loss, acute dizziness or nausea. All they could do about that was wait until she healed.

What worried him the most wasn’t her physical injuries but the change in her manner. Rey had always been affectionate, but there was an edge of insecurity to her actions. She clung to his arm tightly as they had walked through the airport, seemingly needing the constant contact. Quiet, she rarely spoke unless she was asked something, jumping or flinching when someone moved too quickly, or a sudden noise caught her off guard.

Like a loyal guard dog, Kylo stayed with her, glowering at anyone who dared to look at her in a manner he deemed unfit. She didn’t need him to push her, question or badger her to tell him how she was feeling. Instead, he remained steadfast and unwavering, doing whatever needed to be done.

“Where to? Your place or mine?” he had asked when they landed. Awkwardly she bunched her fists in the sleeves of the sweater she had stolen from him.

“Can we go back to my place please?” she had replied quietly, “I love your place. I do, but I just really want to be at home right now,” Holding her closer, he kissed her gently on the temple.

“Anything you want, sweetheart,”

For a week she had stayed at home, cuddling with him on the bed or the sofa, napping with her head rested in his lap while he absently watched whatever was on Netflix, stroking her hair softly. They spoke in short bursts, Rey mainly content to sit in companionable silence, still withdrawn from the world and safe in her home surrounded by her own comforts.

Kylo had almost grown used to the silence when a week after they had returned to New York her voice broke in the darkness.

“I trusted her,”

Blinking, Kylo sat up, rubbing his sleep-addled eyes. The time on his phone flashed 3:00 am, the only light in the room the glow of the streetlights streaming in through the cracks in the curtains. Rey was lying on her side, facing where he had lain, her eyes wide and unblinking.

“What did you say?” Kylo asked quietly. She wasn’t looking at him, her gaze still set ahead and shining in the dark.

“I trusted her,” she repeated, her voice breaking, “She told me that she was a professional. That I never had anything to worry about and I trusted her,”

Kylo sighed sadly, his heart aching. He had wondered when the numbing shock was going to give way, he simply hadn’t expected it to be in the middle of the night while he slept. Rey had been in the business for long enough to know that these ugly incidents happened, but never before had it happened directly to her and there was a vast difference between hearsay and experiencing it first-hand.

Carefully, he slid to his back, pulling her against his chest as she tucked her head under his chin. Like a dam giving way, her body shuddered, Kylo rubbing soothing circles on her back while tears ran from her cheeks to his bare skin.

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” she sniffed, “All I ever did was my job, I did what I was told…that’s all I’ve ever done, and she took my moment from me. I’m not going to be cleared to wrestle for at least 6-weeks…what if they strip me? What if they _fire_ me?!” she gasped, her breath coming in gulps, hiccupping as she spoke.

“Hey, hey, shhhh. It’s alright,” he crooned, “They are _not_ going to fire you for being injured, they can’t. They won’t strip you, Leia won’t allow it. Sweetheart, I’m so sorry this happened to you…but you are going to heal. This is temporary and you’re going to come back better than ever, I promise you!”

“What about you?” she asked quietly, “You’re still suspended…I…I don’t want to go back out on my own,”

“You won’t be alone,” Kylo said firmly, “You’ll have Poe, Finn, Rose, Paige…You’re never alone,” Rey shook her head, sniffing loudly.

“It’s not the same without you there,” she whispered sadly, her voice thick from tears. Kylo sighed, kissing her hair.

“Don’t think about it just now, alright? For now, I’m here. I’m with you, wherever you want me to be,” An odd sense of relief filled him feeling the muscles of her face lift against him as she smiled properly for the first time.

“I think I want to go out tomorrow,” she said after a pause, Kylo smiling in return.

“Really?”

“Yeah, bruising on my face isn’t so bad anymore. Might be kind of nice to get some fresh air, maybe go for a walk?”

“That sounds great,” he said gently, his hand idly stroking her bare shoulder. Quiet fell over the studio apartment so much that he’d assumed from the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest that she had finally fallen asleep.

“Ben?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you,”

“I love you too, sweetheart,”

00000

The following day, Rey had woken in far higher spirits, readily smiling despite her aches and pains as she crawled out of bed. Clearly, her emotional break during the night had lifted the unseen weight from her shoulders, finally being able to speak about the incident.

“I almost feel sorry for her,” Rey said as they walked hand in hand through central park, “It can’t be easy…”

“Almost,” Kylo growled, “I’d feel a little sorrier if she hadn’t committed assault,”

“Ben…”

“That’s what it was,” he said simply, “Now she’s ruined her whole career. Everything she’s done, _this_ is what she’ll be remembered for,”

Deciding it was better to change the subject, Phasma was never mentioned between them again until Rey received an unexpected visitor to her home.

“Leia!” she exclaimed from her place on the sofa, Kylo having answered the door, “What a surprise, come in!” The older woman smiled kindly, a large bouquet of flowers in her hand.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, “These are, of course, for you from all the staff at the performance center. They miss you, Chewie especially has been asking after you!”

“I’m…better,” Rey answered honestly, “Still a little banged up but getting there. Tell everyone I miss them too, I was going to come down this week for a visit!” The smile on Leia’s face held steady but a tightness remained around her eyes, setting Kylo on edge.

“I’m actually here on more than just a social call…and I need to speak to both of you,” she began cautiously, “First of all, Gwen has been fired. I can’t trust her in the ring, so I can’t have her on my shows, but that’s not the main reason I came today. We received word from Snoke himself, Ben…he wants you back to work next week,” Kylo raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“He suspends me for only two weeks and suddenly I’m back?” Leia snorted.

“Oh, it gets better,” she drawled, “At the next TV taping here in New York, he wants you to drop your title…to Hux,”

“Hux? Seriously?!” Kylo spat, “That asshole is actually going to be champion? After no build up, no scene setting…I’ve just to drop my title to him clean, just like that?”

“Apparently so,” Leia said gravely, “but…there’s something else. Rey, he wants you back to work too,”

Kylo paled, his folded arms dropping as he stared at his Mother incredulously. Rey said nothing, pulling her knees to her chest as she sat on the sofa, her eyes on the floor as she shook her head.

“No. No fucking way!” Kylo spat, “Rey hasn’t been medically cleared yet. The doctors said a minimum of 6-weeks. Minimum! Is he fucking insane?!” Leia sighed heavily.

“I know, I was…horrified as well. He said something about it showing a plucky, underdog fighting spirit…he doesn’t want a champion to be off the air,” she said bitterly, “He expects you both at Madison Square Garden on Friday night,”

“Well, that just isn’t fucking happening!” He spat, carding his fingers through his hair, “This is too much. I don’t care what he does to me, but he is not going to force my girlfriend, who was injured on _his_ show, to wrestle like this!” Leia regarded him curiously.

“So…what are you going to do about it?”

Kylo stopped his pacing, a dawning of realization lighting his face.

“You look like you have a plan?” Kylo shook his head.

“Not yet I don’t but I might be able to think of something. I need to get to my laptop, it’s back at my place,” He moved to Rey, still nervously still on the sofa, crouching down to meet her eyes, “Sweetheart, I’m only going to be gone a few hours at the most okay?” Shakily she nodded, accepting the gentle kiss he gave her.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,”

00000

How could he have been so stupid?

So long ago, back when he trusted Snoke implicitly, Kylo had been the older man’s shadow. Young and bitter, he had been so blinded by anger that he hadn’t suspected anything Snoke was doing to be wrong. Even if he had, he had been so jaded he didn’t think it important enough to pay attention to. Snoke had given Kylo a new identity, given him an out, a new start. What did it matter if some of his methods were _unorthodox_?

For so long he had ignored it all, content to accept the accolades handed to him, but no more. He was done with being manipulated, done with running away from his past.

Not now he had his future in front of him.

Rushing around his office with a duffle bag in his hand, he grabbed his laptop, shoving it in the bag along with various memory sticks, dates written on the sides. A sharp knock at the door caused him to pause, growling in frustration as he put down the bag, stalking to answer whoever it was.

“Hello, Ben,”

Sucking in a sharp breath, his spine straightening as he gazed at the man with hard eyes.

“Dad…” he greeted coolly, “What are you doing here?” Han shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, rocking on the balls of his feet. He looked far older than Kylo remembered, his hair silver, the stubble greying, age weathering the old wrestlers face.

“Your Mom told me you were in town for a while, so I thought I’d stop by,” he smiled, “Can I come in?”

“Does it matter if I say no?” Kylo asked dryly, his Father already pushing past him as he asked.

“Probably not,” Han smirked, “I’ve been watching the shows. Saw Starkiller…and next night, how’s your girlfriend?”

“Did Mom tell you all about her too?” Kylo huffed, slamming the front door shut and sullenly walking towards his kitchen to take a bottle of water from his fridge. Hun shook his head.

“She didn’t have to. I told you, I’ve been watching the live shows. You wear your heart on your sleeve something awful!” He grinned, “Something you get from your Mother…”

“Are you here to ask me about my love life or to say something important cause I’m in the middle of something here,” Kylo snapped, his defensive attitude stilling the smile on Han’s face.

“Ben, do we always have to be like this?” Han sighed, running his hand through his hair in a gesture that Kylo hated he recognized in himself.

“I don’t know Dad, do we really have time to open that can of worms?”

“I tried. After your Mom and I broke up, I really did try…”

“No! You didn’t,” Kylo snapped indignantly, “You knocked Mom up and instead of doing the right thing you went off and tried to scrape whatever dregs of a career you had left! You left her, you left me…and when you were too old to keep up with the new blood, you tried to come crawling back!”

“Come on, that’s not fair!” Han defended, “Didn’t I take you on the road with me all those times? You got to see things most kids could only dream of! You met legends, you went to the best schools, we tried to give you everything!”

“Yeah, everything except yourself,” Kylo replied bitterly.

Han stood silently, his mouth flapping uselessly as he tried to formulate a response. Eventually, he sighed, shaking his head in defeat.

“You’re right,” he said quietly, “I can’t take that back…but I’m here now and I want to help you. Your Mom said that Snoke suspended you,”

Kylo nodded, momentarily stunned into silence. For the first time in his adult life, his Father, the great Han Solo, admitted he was wrong. His chest constricted, rolling his neck as he took a deep breath. Their issues were hardly going to be fixed by one conversation, but it was a small step. He was looking to the future and even if he didn’t like it, making peace with his past meant facing all of it. Even the painful.

Wrestling, however, was a safe topic, wrestling was mutual.

“Yeah, he did,”

“Because of the women’s match?”

“You mean because I ran to the ring on live TV to stop my girlfriend being assaulted? Yes,” Kylo replied testily. Han gave him a sideways smile.

“I’ve been watching her too, that Rey J Kenobi, she’s a little spitfire in the ring!” he said impressed, “Clearly got your number!”

“Thanks,” Kylo grumbled, “Snoke wants me back to work next week for the Garden show. I’m dropping my title to Hux apparently,”

“Armitage Hux? That little fuck?” Han cried in disgust, “You know his Father Brendol was a good man, I have no idea how he ended up with a little prick like that for a son!”

For the first time since Han had appeared at his door, Kylo smiled, an unkind smirk growing on his lips as he snorted a laugh.

“Tell me about it. That isn’t my problem though,” Kylo continued, “Snoke wants Rey to work the show too…”

“But she’s injured…”

“I’m very aware of that,” Kylo ground out, “And I’m only back here and not at her place because…”

Another knock at the door interrupted Kylo’s sentence, both men turning towards the sound.

“What now?” Kylo groaned as Han rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Oh, I…uh…I told someone else I was coming, and they mentioned pop by,” Han said uncomfortably. Kylo narrowed his eyes at his father, another knock vibrating through the door as he wandered to open it.

Luke stood there, a polite smile on his face.

“Hello, Ben,”

“Jesus fucking Christ,”

“Luke will do fine…”

“What are _you_ doing here?!” Kylo growled, “Have you both conspired to turn up _now_ just to torture me?”

Luke smirked, walking in to join Han, shaking hands with the older man.

“Han, good to see you,” Luke said before turning to his nephew, “Actually your Mom told me about your issues with Snoke and that you had a plan. Han here happened to mention he was going to drop by, so I thought I’d join him. I want to help you,”

“I don’t _need_ your help!” Kylo snapped, “Why the fuck would you think I’d even _want_ your help?!” Luke sighed.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” Luke said with remorse, “I’ve seen how you’ve been these past few months and I realized that I’ve still been treating you like that stubborn teenager I used to know, and I can see what I did. I failed you, Ben, I’m sorry,”

“I’m sure you are!” Kylo replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes as Luke stood patiently with Han, “So, what? You both come here and say sorry and we sit down with a few beers like the past 13 years didn’t happen?”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me straight away,” Luke said evenly, “I can’t change the past…but we can make the future better!”

“How very cryptic of you,” Kylo said dryly, “Can you both _please_ just get to the point? I have to get back to Rey…”

“How is Rey?” Luke asked, relieved that the mention of the girl softened Kylo’s demeanor.

“She’s…better,” he relented, “Still bruised, still sore but getting there. She is _not_ fit to wrestle!” Luke nodded enthusiastically.

“Damn right she isn’t!” He huffed, “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the card for the Garden show, and you’ve to drop your title to Hux? That little prick?” Han snorted a laugh, clapping Luke on the back.

“That’s what I said!” Han smirked, the two older wrestlers laughing together as Kylo clenched his jaw.

“Hey! Focus, please?” He snapped, “Luke, it’s not going to happen…none of it is. I…I think I have a plan,” Luke’s eyebrow quirked, his interest piqued.

“Go on…”

“Years ago, when I had just come back to the US…I was around Snoke all the time and I might have something on him,” Kylo said carefully, “I just need to find it…and that’s what I was doing before the wrestler Hall of Fame reunion decided to take place in my damn apartment!” he finished sardonically, both Han and Luke looking sheepish.

“Ben…all of this, why now?” Luke asked.

“It’s for her,” he said simply, “It’s all for her,” Han smiled proudly.

“Well then, what the hell are we waiting for?”


	22. Best Of Luck in Your Future Endevors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it - the final chapter before the epilogue. Some people have questioned why I'm not keeping this story going and the answer is simply because I feel we've reached a nice, natural stopping point for our couple. I don't like to force out chapters for the sake of a longer story.
> 
> There WILL be an epilogue, as always.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has read, commented and given Kudos, especially those of you who aren't wrestling fans and maybe read it because you liked my other work. I know wrestling isn't an accessible topic to everyone and I appreciate the hell out of you who gave it a shot!
> 
> Love forever xx

[](https://imgur.com/ZdfIF67)

“He wants you to _what_?!”

Rey sat with Rose and Paige, a steaming coffee cup in her hands as the sisters stared at her in disbelief from their place on her sofa, their mouths both agape, blinking dumbly.

“Yeah pretty much,” Rey sighed, inhaling the rich aroma of her drink, “This Friday,”

“That’s three days from now!” Paige cried, “You’ve not been cleared to compete. Your rib is still broken for crying out loud!”

“He’s psychotic,” Rose declared, “Nothing else for it. The man is psychotic and he’s clearly out to get you and Ben. What are you going to do?”

“Ben is working on something, he says he’s going to talk to me about it tonight,” Rey replied cautiously, “I get the feeling it’s something pretty big…he says he won’t do it unless I agree,”

“Well you know Ben,” Rose smirked, “He doesn’t exactly do things by half when it comes to you. I mean the first time he tells you he loves you is in the middle of the ring during the main event of the biggest show of the year…that’s the kinda stuff you tell your grandkids!”

Rey smiled bashfully, a slow blush creeping along her cheeks while her chest filled with warmth. It was ridiculous really, something that she couldn’t believe had happened to her but like so many other things, it was just one moment in a series of strange events that had become her life.

“And then you slapped him!” Paige reminded with a giggle, “You told him you loved him too…then you slapped him,”

“I know. There are plenty of pictures and videos circulating on the internet to remind me!” Rey smirked, “The Reylo’s loved it. Turns out people _can_ actually lip read…”

“After the way he ran down to the ring, it was hardly ambiguous anymore!” Rose added, “Besides, isn’t it nice to have everything in the open?” Rey nodded.

“It is…but I can’t help but wonder if it led to this mess,” She sighed, “Maybe Gwen wouldn’t have…”

“Gwen was a jealous bitch who couldn’t handle the truth!” Rose replied fiercely, “It had nothing to do with you and Ben, but we don’t need to think about her anymore. Last I heard, she’d been dismissed, and she was moving back to England,”

“Really?” Paige asked, her interest in gossip piqued, “Moving back?”

“That’s the word on the sites and around the locker room,” Rose confirmed, “She wasn’t going to be staying here anymore. Decided to move back to her hometown for a while,”

“Sad really,” Rey mumbled, her voice lacking the conviction to really mean what she was saying, “But I suppose that’s for the best,”

“She isn’t the only one who left UCW. Jessika quit,” Paige said uncomfortably.

“Oh my God, when?”

“Just after Starkiller I think,” Paige sighed, “Apparently she just couldn’t handle being around me or Poe…or anyone else really once people knew. I feel awful about it…”

“You probably should,” Rose snapped, taking a sip of her own coffee.

“Rose!”

“No, Rey, she’s right. I should!” Paige defended, “Like it or not, I played a part in breaking up a relationship and that resulted in Jess leaving. I’m as much to blame as Poe,” Rey nodded reluctantly, knowing that what her friend was saying was true.

“Speaking of Poe…I saw you two talking? What’s going on there?” Paige shook her head, downing her mug.

“Nothing,” she said firmly, “We spoke and while we still have feelings there…the whole thing is just so messy and it’s not the right way to start a relationship. Rose and I talked and something she said really made sense. I can’t trust him! In a few years’ time, I could be just like Jess. For now, we’re just going to be friends, until I can trust that it’s the real thing…he must earn that,”

“What if you meet someone else?” Rey asked uncertainly, “Or if he does?”

“Then that’s what happens,” Paige smiled, “This is for the best. I can’t fix the past, but I can look to the future without feeling like it’ll always be tainted,”

“Speaking of the future, what’s happening with you and Finn?” Rey asked Rose with a teasing smile, Paige rolling her eyes in good nature.

“Oh, they’re just as loved up as ever. It’s sickening!” Paige drawled, Rose grabbing a nearby cushion to throw at her sister.

“We are very happy, thank you very much!” Rose replied, “Since Starkiller and that big fight, he’s really thrown himself into being an actual boyfriend. It’s nice! Speaking of happy…where’s Ben? He’s barely left your side since that match,”

“Yeah, the dudes been intense!” Paige agreed. Rey shrugged.

“He’s meeting with Luke just now, again, something to do with this show on Friday. I think Luke is going to help us,”

“Wait…I thought Ben and Luke didn’t get along?” Rose asked in confusion, “Wasn’t it Luke who drove Ben to Snoke in the first place?”

“Yeah but get this, the other day when he went back to his apartment…Luke turned up and so did his _Dad_!” Rey exclaimed, the Tico sisters leaning forward enthralled by the latest news.

“Oh my God! Han Solo?” Paige grinned, “Man, I _loved_ watching his old matches. The Millennium Falcons were the best tag team around and he was so, _so_ , sexy!”

“Have you met him yet? Can you confirm if he’s a DILF?” Rose pressed enthusiastically. Rey wrinkled her nose, giggling at her friends.

“No, I have not and I’m not sure it’s appropriate to lust after my boyfriend’s father…even if he is Han Solo!” she quipped, the three dissolving into girlish laughter, Rey wincing as she held her side.

“Ooh, there it is. Time to take my painkillers,” she groaned, carefully pulling herself up from the sofa and wobbling towards the kitchenette for a glass of water, grabbing for the little orange bottle and depositing two pills into her hand.

“See, you’re still in pain! You can barely walk with any kind of speed, how are you supposed to wrestle?!” Rose grumbled. Rey shrugged, popping the pills into her mouth and washing them down.

“I won’t,” Rey said, “I need to trust that Ben…and Luke will come through,”

“So, they’re all on the same page again? The Solo-Skywalker men are going to play nice?” Rey smirked.

“I don’t think we’ll be having them over for Sunday lunch any time soon but, for now, they seem to be working through things,”

“Good!” Rose grinned, “That’s good! Now I’m closer to meeting Han Solo…”

“Yes, Rose, because _that_ is definitely what this is all about…”

00000

The journey to Madison Square Garden had been quiet, both sitting in the back of the car hand in hand, staring out their respective windows in contemplation for what was going to happen. They had spoken. Rey had gone to Kylo’s place after Paige and Rose had left her apartment where he had laid out everything in front of her. 

Hiding nothing, he told her what he had told Luke and Han, what he had that could free them from the binds Snoke had them wrapped in. He had held her hands, staring deep into her eyes with open honesty, needing her to understand the consequences of their actions. If she had told him no, it would have been over. While he would have been frustrated, knowing that this was the right thing do to, he respected her too much to go behind her back.

Didn’t he always say communication was key?

After hours, she had agreed. Kylo was right, this was the only way and if there was a little collateral damage left in their wake, so be it. Still aching, Kylo helped her out of the car as Rey stared up at the main entrance to the building wistfully.

“This is where your Mom won her first championship. I always wanted to wrestle here,” she said sadly, “I guess I never thought it would be under these circumstances,” Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, Kylo kissed her temple, nuzzling at her hair.

“You will,” he declared, “One day you will, I promise,” Offering him a small smile, he grabbed their bags, following her inside.

The reaction to their presence from the other UCW staff members was mixed. Most greeted them enthusiastically, telling Rey how well she looked and how nice it was to see her back, albeit, with an undertone of sympathy knowing that she shouldn’t have been there. Other’s did nothing to hide the naked shock on their face, unaware that Kylo’s suspension had been lifted or that Rey had been drafted in for a match.

“You made it!” Rose called, running over to the pair and wrapping them both in a hug, “So, care to tell us what’s going on?” Kylo shook his head.

“Not yet,” he mumbled quietly, “Ears everywhere,” Rose scowled in annoyance.

“Well that’s no fun,” she huffed, “By the way, Snoke is here…”

“Of course, he is,” Kylo grumbled dryly, “He’ll want front row seats to see his handiwork,”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” A voice sounded from behind them, “Just means he’s up close and personal for the fallout!” Kylo inhaled deeply, steeling himself from his turbulent emotions as he always did when his Father was around.

“Hey Dad,” Kylo greeted tightly, “This is…”

“Oh, I know who this is,” Han smiled charismatically looking at Rey, the woman next to him suddenly blushing like a school girl, biting her lip in barely concealed excitement, “Rey, it’s a pleasure to meet you…I’m Ben’s Father, Han,”

“I know!” Rey blurted out, fighting her girlish giggles as she stared at him starstruck, Rose next to her the exact same while Ben rolled his eyes, “Oh! This is Rose…”

“Tico…Oh yeah, I’ve seen your work too. You’re very talented,”

“Oh my God…thank you!” Rose giggled, her face just as flushed as Rey’s, Kylo snorting in annoyance.

“Alright, we’ve all fawned over my Dad,” he quipped, “Let’s act like adults please…is Luke ready?” Han nodded.

“Oh yeah, didn’t take much to convince the backstage crew. Did you know Snoke cut their pay and took away their health care at the end of last year? Stand up guy, can’t imagine why people don’t want to work with him,” Han said sarcastically.

Kylo nodded, confirming to his Father that he was heading to the locker rooms and that he would meet him later when a snide voice gave him pause, his blood pulsing in anger.

“Kylo Ren, I’m amazed to see you here,” Hux sneered, “I’d assumed you’d just hand the title straight to me,” Kylo smiled coldly.

“Hand it to you? Well everything else in your career has been handed to you, why should this be any different,” he shrugged, “I don’t know what you did to get into Snoke’s pocket, but it’s not going to last. Those fans can tell a fake a mile away…you’re going to get that belt and the weight of it is going to crush you!”

“Careful you don’t choke on those sour grapes, _Ben_ ,” Hux smirked, “Oh and Rey, how lovely to see you after your…title defense. I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully this evening,” he mocked, Kylo taking a large step towards the man, towering over him as he glowered down.

“You don’t talk to her,” he growled, “Any problems you’ve got, you say them to me,”

“I don’t imagine there’s going to be much to say after tonight,” Hux smiled smugly, “It’s a new world. You best get used to it,” Kylo smiled suddenly, the amusement in his eyes of some unknown joke that Hux clearly wasn’t in on catching the Englishman off guard.

“You know what, Armitage, you are _so_ right,”

"And just what is  _that_ supposed to mean?" Hux demanded. Smiling, Ben took Rey's hand in his, wordlessly turning away to walk to down hall, "Ren? REN? What the bloody hell are you on about?!" Hux screamed after them, the rest of the group disappearing with a snigger.

00000

Standing by the curtain, Kylo held his championship belt over his shoulder, his hand firmly grasping Rey’s. He could feel her body trembling next to him, her eyes set on the curtain in front.

“I wanted this for so long. This company, this championship. I wanted to be on posters, have my own merchandise. I wanted little girls to look at me and feel inspired,” Rey said softly, “I guess that’s the problem with dreams. We look at them through rose tinted glasses and convince ourselves that it’s what we need to be happy,”

Lifting the woman’s championship, she stared at the gold plate, her name inscribed on the front. This inanimate object that she had craved for so long, the thing that would declare to the world she was worth something, that would cause people to look at her in awe and respect. Now, it felt cold under her fingers, weighty and cumbersome in her hand and she realized that after the initial euphoria of holding it high above her head the day she won it, the bitter aftertaste of everything Universal Championship Wrestling had come to represent made her feel sick to her stomach.

If this was what she would represent as their women’s champion, it wasn’t worth the price.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said quietly, “We can still back out,” Rey turned her head to look at him, shaking it.

“No,” she replied firmly, “Where you go, I go. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together,”

Behind them, next to the monitor, a small crowd of workers had begun to gather, curiously staring at the champions, dressed in their street clothes and not at all appearing like they were ready for a wrestling match. Whispers had been circulating all day surrounding the couple, people speculating if Kylo was really going to do the job to Hux, if Rey was really going to wrestle despite her status.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Leia muttered to them, “For the life of me, I don’t know how this is going to go down…but I’ve got your back either way,” Kylo smiled, pulling his Mother into a hug, the woman stiffening at the sudden unexpected show of affection from her son.

“Thanks, Mom,”

His music began, Rey sucking in a sharp breath to steady her nerves as she gripped his hand tightly. The stagehand called for them to step up, the lights of Madison Square Garden flashing beyond the black fabric. Just as Rey moved to step forward, she felt Kylo pull her back, kissing her soundly.

“I love you,” smiling widely, her nerves dissipating with his touch, Rey straightened her own belt on her shoulder.

They would be champions one last time, on their own terms.

00000

“Making his way to the ring, being accompanied by Rey J. Kenobi, he is the UCW World Heavyweight Champion, Kylo Ren!”

Seeing them together, hand in hand as they walked down the ramp, the crowd exploded into rapturous applause, chanting ‘welcome back’ to Rey over her absence. They stood tall, proudly holding their heads high as they made their way to the ring, Kylo jumping on the apron to hold the ropes open for Rey.

As they circled the ring, Rey taking in the adoring crowd of the legendary venue, Kylo gestured for the announcer to hand over his microphone. Smiling to himself, his amused smirk causing the crowd to shout even louder, he waited for the crowd to settle somewhat before he could speak.

“Well, look at that Rey…we _do_ have fans,” he quipped, the crowd screaming in acknowledgment, “What I have to say is serious…and I need you all to listen. This isn’t a storyline, there are no scripts…this is just us talking now. I got a few things I need to address here at UCW!”

There was something strange about hearing 20,000 people collectively gasp, murmuring to themselves in excitement about what was happening in front of them. If there was one thing wrestling fans loved more than a good storyline, it was real life drama playing out before their eyes. Despite the fluttering in her stomach, Rey wanted to laugh at the sight.

“First of all, I know I was supposed to have a championship match tonight to defend my title against Armitage Hux but as you can see, that simply isn’t going to happen. Hux, there will never come a time where _anyone_ would believe that you could beat me in a wrestling ring and I’m not giving you that satisfaction…so if you want this title so badly…have it,”

Grabbing the large, golden belt, the audience watched in astonishment as he threw it from his shoulder, the championship hitting the mat with a dull thud, lying abandoned on the canvas. Flashes burst all over the stands, manic pictures being taken that Rey was sure would already be on social media. Kylo handed the microphone to Rey, the woman waiting for the crowd to die down again before she could speak.

“As most of you know, I suffered some pretty nasty injuries only a few weeks ago,” the crowd's boos rippled around the arena, “and I am still not cleared to compete. However, that hasn’t stopped UCW’s chairman Mr. Snoke from trying to force me into a match tonight knowing that it would be detrimental to my health!”

The din intensified, the crowd voicing their displeasure at the news viciously, the sound echoing around the circumference of the arena and back to the couple in the ring as security watched on, mystified as to what was happening.

“This is what I’ve worked for my whole life, but I was taken advantage of and now Snoke is trying to manipulate both of us. I want to be your champion,” She told the crowd honestly, “But I don’t want to be UCW’s champion any longer,”

Gasping, the crowd shocked into silence, her belt felt to the mat, the plate clanging against the forgotten Heavyweight championship loudly as both vacated titles lay without owners. Rey handed the microphone back to Kylo.

“Snoke, I know you’re back there probably going nuts wondering why your production truck is offline…I’ve stood back and done nothing while good people suffered. People who lost their jobs, their careers…even their lives, but…I can’t deny the truth that is my family,” Kylo said passionately, “I am _not_ Kylo Ren. I am Ben Solo. My grandfather was Anakin Skywalker, my Mother is Leia Organa, my Father is Han Solo and my Uncle is Luke Skywalker. I am third generation wrestler, and I am damn proud of where I come from!”

The roar from the crowd was deafening, echoing to the rafters as they screamed and shouted, feet pounding on the floor, palms crashing against palms as Rey watched on proudly with tears in her eyes.

“There are things Snoke doesn’t want any of you to know!” He continued, “But we have a little something to show you…play the tape!”

The giant screen used for entrance videos and hype packages above the entranceway of the ring flickered to life, the lights of the arena going dark, so the video stood out against the dull light. It showed what looked to be security footage, the strange angle of a pristine looking office with a slightly younger Snoke sitting behind a desk, another man standing in front of him.

“Mr. Snoke, we need to stop these trials. Whatever you're giving these men, these steroids…the FDA will never approve,” the man's voice boomed through the sound system, the audience watching in rapture.

“The FDA doesn’t need to know,” Snoke snarled, “And the trials _will_ continue,”

“You’re giving wrestlers untested enhancement drugs at double the dosage, Jesus Christ, two have already suffered cardiac arrest!”

“There is nothing to prove that it’s linked to us,” Snoke said dismissively, the murmurs of the crowds growing.

“Two people have _died_ , Mr. Snoke,” the man said in horror, “These trainees of yours, they don’t even know what they’re being fed. You’re drugging them without their knowledge…this madness has to stop!”

The video abruptly came to an end, the house lights rising as the crowd seemed to move like a wave, hands flailing as they growled and snarled, booing and wailing in horror at the video’s confession.

“Everyone in the back, _that_ is the kind of man you’re working for!” Kylo shouted into the microphone, “He doesn’t give a damn about you, your health or anything other than his profits!”

“Ben, look!” Rey grabbed his shoulder, pointing in the direction of the ramp, the overstimulated audience going wild for the appearance of Leia and Luke, leading the march of the locker room. Poe, Finn, Rose, Paige, Snap, Mitaka and a few others all followed the general managers, indignant, disgusted scowls on their faces as they joined Kylo and Rey in the ring, Leia opening her hand to Kylo who handed her the microphone. The crowd was feral and howling, throwing their hands in the air in unison as they chanted for the Resistance and their friends.

“I think I speak for everyone in this ring when I say…we quit!”

00000

Freshly unemployed and stripped of their titles, Rey felt lighter than she had in months. Suddenly there was no expectation, there was no weight on her shoulders, nothing to chase. She had no plan or schedule and the prospect didn’t terrify her.

Fans mobbed them all as they left the arena, piling into cars that would take them as far away from The Gardens as possible. In the end, they settled for a cozy bar near the Lower East Side, far away from where stray fans may wander.

Tucked into a huddle of booths near the back of the building, the tables littered with pitchers of beer, the feeling around the tables was one of positivity. Standing up, beer glass in her hand, Leia smiled.

“To severing ties!” she called, the group echoing her sentiments in a toast as they drank to their new-found freedom.

“How do we rebuild from this?” Rey asked as Leia sat down, Kylo’s arm around her shoulder comfortably, “There’s so few of us,”

“We have everything we need right here,” Leia winked, “Don’t you worry about a thing. I got this!”

“So…what do you want to do now?” she asked Kylo, gazing up at him tucked safely into his side, “I can’t remember when we had so much free time,”

“Well, I hear the Maldives are nice this time of year,” Kylo smiled, “And I’d say we’ve earned a vacation!” Rey grinned.

“You, me and some sunshine? That sounds perfect,” she replied excitedly, “I’ll need to work out what to do with my apartment when we come home. I saved a lot of my money but it’s not going to last forever,” she sighed. Kylo squirmed in his seat.

“I know you love your place, but I was kinda hoping that…I mean, you don’t have to but…you could always…move in with me?” he said, stuttering awkwardly, his face reminding her more of a bashful teenager asking a girl to prom.

“Really?” Rey asked, “You really want me to live with you?” Kylo smiled at her, amused that she would even need to question.

“Of course, I do!” he confirmed, “Sweetheart, I told you, it’s just you and me…nothing else matters,”

Grabbing him by the collar of his tee shirt, she pulled him to her with an incandescent smile that lit up her face, kissing him passionately without a care for others around them as they hollered at the young couple, Finn throwing a napkin in their direction.

“Hey, wanna break the internet?” Rey smiled playfully, pulling out her phone and waving it in front of her. Kylo rolled his eyes.

“Christ, alright, how can I say no?” He drawled, Rey pulling the front camera up to capture the moment. The picture had Rey smiling her bright grin for the lens, throwing up the peace sign as Kylo kissed her on the cheek.  A few taps on the screen of her phone and the picture was public.

Content, safe and in love, Rey hit the power button, turning the device dark and silent.

**_This is our quitting face! – brb, on vacation x_ **


	23. Epilogue: Rebel Wrestling Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A massive thank you to everyone who has read, commented, given kudos or sent a message about this story. I know I write really fast and It's not always easy to keep up with the updates but I appreciate the hell out of each and every one of you.
> 
> Being a wrestler myself, this story was really meaningful to write from experience and super fun too!
> 
> If you're interested in my new WIP, please check out _Sold (With Furniture)_
> 
> Much love,  
> PD3 xx

[](https://imgur.com/bYfOzgd)

 

**5 Years Later**

Rey smiled as she glanced up at the sign on the front of the building.

The words ‘Rebel Wrestling Alliance’ were fixed in bright orange and black letters over the huge double doors to the facility. Leia had been telling her for months they were due to get a new sign and finally, something had been done about it.

It hadn’t been easy starting again but true to her word, Leia with the help of Luke had made it work. Not wanting to immediately jump on the crumbling ashes of Universal Championship Wrestling, they had started small, building on the fanbase the wrestlers already had. Slowly, word trickled down through the indies about UCW and the scandal that lead to Snoke’s arrest, workers no longer so eager to try out for the company.

Hux had become their champion due to lack of options more than a genuine right to the title. As wrestlers defected to Leia’s promotions, fans following in droves, UCW had no choice but to fold. They were still growing, nowhere near the level of crowds that Starkiller had gained, but it was a start and 5 years on the company was only getting bigger.

Grabbing the paper bag and cup holder from the passenger side of the black BMW, Rey bashed the door closed with her hip, wandering into the building and smiling at the sign near the front of the door.

_Head Trainer – Ben Solo_

True to his word, two days after dramatically throwing their titles to the ground, Ben had whisked Rey away to one of the smaller islands in the Maldives, booking a private house on the beach overlooking the crystal waters. After almost 3 blissful weeks of isolation, it had come to nobody’s surprise that Rey had landed back in New York with a diamond on her finger. 6 months later, they had married in a small, private ceremony away from prying eyes.

The training center was quiet for a Saturday afternoon, most of the wrestlers they employed out on tour for that weekend. Leia and Luke had worked hard to turn the warehouse they had purchased cheap into a professional facility. It wasn’t as cold as UCW had been. RWA was colorful, the walls draped in banners depicting promotional photos of their champions past and present. Large prints of milestones adorned the whitewashed brick, Rey’s favorites being the photo taken 4 years ago of the group as they stood outside the day the building had been bought, Ben’s arms around her as he cradled her heavily pregnant form.

Her second favorite print was taken 2 years later when she stood in the center of Madison Square Garden with her women’s title high above her head.

 Silently slipping in, Rey smiled at the sight in front of her.

“Alright, you remember what I taught you?”

“I think so…”

Ben was on his knees in the middle of the wrestling ring, their 4-year-old daughter standing in front of him with a stern look of determination in her dark eyes as she chewed her bottom lip. Hope was born 7 months after their wedding, Rey’s sudden pregnancy putting a pause on her wrestling career. Their little girl the double of her father. The same dark expressive eyes and inky hair, the same scowl when she was irritated, but her smile was all Rey.

They had continued to wrestle once Hope was born, Rey going back to ring after a year’s absence but by the time Hope had turned 3, Ben decided he wanted a more stable life for his daughter than the upbringing he had been given. Together, Rey and Ben had retired from in-ring competition so that Ben could teach full time at the training center while Rey had become Leia’s shadow, learning the management side of the business.

It wasn’t to say that they never went on the road, but trips were saved for special occasions and Hope was treated like royalty by everyone in the company wherever she went.

The little girl locked up with her father, Ben still on his knees to adapt for his height, her tiny left hand clutching the back of his neck while the right grabbed his wrist.

“Remember, your right-hand goes on my elbow here,” Ben instructed gently, Hope sliding her hand to the crook of his arm, “That’s it. Now, what do we call this?”

“A collar and elbow tie-up,” Hope replied proudly, Ben beaming at his daughter, “Daddy, can I do that kick thing?”

“What kick thing?”

“You know…the jumpy one?” Ben smirked in amusement, letting go of the hold.

“You mean a drop kick? Do you want to do the running one or do you want to jump off the ropes?” he asked.

“The ropes! I wanna jump off the ropes!” Hope cried, bouncing up and down in excitement, her little hands flailing.

“Alright, let me get the crash mat…”

“Ben Solo, don’t you dare!” Rey shouted across the room, her husband jumping in fright suddenly realizing that he wasn’t the only one there.

“Jesus, how long have you been watching!?” he asked, clutching his chest. Rey grinned, sauntering over to the ring and placing the coffee order on the apron.

“Long enough to know that you’ve been teaching our child to jump from the ropes when I believe we already discussed how that wasn’t going to happen?” Ben shrugged helplessly.

“Sweetheart, I’m here the whole time and there’s a crash mat. Nothing would happen!”

“Four years old…our daughter is four…”

“Please Mommy,” Hope begged, stumbling to the ropes to reach for her mother, “Daddy said it’s safe,”

“Well, _Daddy_ , says a lot of things,” Rey drawled, Ben’s eyebrow quirking upwards at her use of the word, “I’m sorry baby, not today,”

“Hope, why don’t you practice your rolls in the ring while I speak to Mom alright?” Ben said kissing his daughter on the head. Nodding in enthusiastically, Hope pushed herself up running to the center of the ring to begin her forward rolls. Carefully, Ben hopped to the floor, reaching for the coffee cups.

“Please tell me you haven’t got her bumping yet,” Rey groaned, “She’s too young, Ben!”

“You know this is when they start training in…”

“Don’t say Japan…”

“Japan,” he finished, smirking, “Sweetheart, do you really think I’d let anything happen? Should you be drinking this?” Rey rolled her eyes, smiling.

“It’s tea, Ben,” she defended, “I’m allowed one small cup a day. I have been pregnant before, look, there’s one we made earlier!” She grinned, pointing to their energetic child as she rolled around the canvas.

“Very funny,” he said dryly, “How’s he doing?”

“and what makes you so sure it’s a ‘he’?” Rey asked, driving into the bag for her muffin, “You could be outnumbered,”

“I’m already outnumbered,” Ben smiled, swigging his coffee, “I just know. It’s a boy,”

“Well the scan isn’t for another two weeks so you’ll just have to wait,” she smiled, kissing him softly, the taste of coffee still on his lips. In content silence, they watched their daughter play in the ring.

“She’ll be a fourth-generation wrestler,” Ben commented, “When do you think she’ll make her debut?”

“Not a second before she’s 18!”

It wasn’t a thrilling prospect, releasing her daughter into the business. So many pitfalls and dangers, not even counting what could happen to her in the ring, but even at such a young age, Hope loved everything about it. She spoke often about how she wanted to be just like her parents, her grandparents and all her unofficial aunts and uncles that she saw every day. Who needed cartoons when you were growing up around real-life superheroes.

Wrestling was a terrible business when it was in the hands of the wrong people. It could suck you in and make you feel like a star before it left you cold, chewed up and spat out with nothing, and they had been through it all. Still, she loved it.

Wrestling brought her a family. It gave her a husband she adored beyond words, a daughter she loved unconditionally with another child on the way who would be just as cherished. For the little girl, hiding alone in her dark bedroom, clutching her cardboard championship belt, it was more than she ever could have dreamed of.

Sitting on the ring apron, Ben’s arm draped around her shoulder as he spoke of their plans, her head resting in the crook of his neck, Rey had never felt more at peace.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrestling Glossary:  
> Face (or babyface) - Good Guy  
> Heel - Villian  
> Heat - To get a negative, emotional reaction from the crowd. Heels try and get 'heat' by their actions.  
> Base - To base for someone. To be the stronger person who can lift and hold a person doing a move. Typical in Mexican wrestling.  
> Ribbing - Making fun of. Also a term for a locker room practical job.  
> Gorilla position - Place backstage next to the entrance curtain. Named after the late Gorilla Monsoon.  
> Strong style - A style of wrestling popular in Japan. Hard hitting and intense.  
> Putting 'heat' on someone - The middle of the match where the Heels generally dominate the faces. Beating someone up.  
> Chain wrestling - another term for technical wrestling. Hammerlocks, headlocks, wristlocks etc.  
> Shooting - When you 'shoot' on someone it means to be legitimate. All the holds and locks are real and can hurt. You're really fighting the person.  
> Working Stiff - See above.  
> Kayfabe - To stay in character in all ways outside of the ring  
> An Agent - Someone who is in charge of putting the match together and planning how it's going to end via the Promoters instructions. Usually only at bigger companies. They make sure none of the matches on a show have the same finish.  
> Dirt Sheets - An 'insider' website with news and gossip on wrestling. Mostly written in a negative tone, to get 'the dirt' on wrestlers and backstage politics.
> 
> Come and say hi on Tumblr! - https://polkadotdotdotreylo.tumblr.com/


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